FEMNET | Celebrating 36 years of Advancing the Feminism through Media

Celebrating 36 years of Advancing the Feminism through Media

By Femnet_
29 Nov 2023

Thirty-Six years ago, thirteen audacious pan- African feminists came together to speak truth to power. Their unabated voices and collective will in media advocacy birthed a formidable feminists organization referred to as Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental and human rights organization.

Since inception, TAMWA has successfully used the media to sensitise society on gender issues, to advocate and lobby for policy and legal changes which promote human rights of African women, girls and children. TAMWA has been able to spread its wings beyond its boundaries through media and has so far engaged over 150 journalists in Tanzania and East Africa for over 3 decades.

For this reason, the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) joined other media women, editors, government officials, offline and online media owners, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, women leaders, researchers and academia, and development partners to celebrate and commemorate TAMWA’s 36 years in feminists’ power in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Speaking during the celebration, Dr. Rose Reuben, the Executive Director at TAMWA and also a board member at FEMNET said, “We need to ensure that we make noise to enable women to address the challenges and also unction the next generation to challenge patriarchal stereotypes that have gripped women’s potential years.”

“TAMWA represents the voice of audacity, strength of women and power of truth,” said Dr Reuben while highlighting the milestones they have achieved.

Indeed, TAMWA is living proof that empowered African women can succeed and enabled journalists can thrive amidst the challenges posed by patriarchists.

Dr. Reuben also underscored that women’s engagement in development through media is critical for progressive change and sustainable solutions.

Retrospectively, Fatma Alloo, one of the founders of TAMWA and FEMNET said, “We have given birth to the sound of media and engaged positively engaged journalists to be part of sustainable change I women leadership.”

Alloo also stated that women are great leaders and great leaders are women. She urged feminists and women political aspirants to “Tell their own stories because no one can do it for them.”

Accordingly, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs and Coordination, Honorable Jenista Mhagama shared the same view. In her remarks she said, “The enemy of feminists isn’t feminisms but patriachists who don’t want women to succeed.”

Honourable Mhagama also said that when women lead I political domains they succeed, and Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan epitomizes this not only in Tanzania but in Africa as a whole.

Notably, TAMWA has successfully advocated for the adoption of the law on sexual offenses, the introduction of a gender policy, the abolition of the virgin law, the end of the killing of old women, the establishment of gender desks.

To have a feel of the conversations that ensued, click here and for more information on FEMNET’s work on Transformative leadership contact Dorothy Otieno; d.otieno@femnet.or.ke . This article was written and compiled by Imali Ngusale i.ngusale@femnet.or.ke