PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged women to be proactive and take active roles in seizing leadership opportunities to increase their number in top decision-making positions.

Addressing participants at the 10th anniversary annual meeting of the women leadership programme of the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the president encouraged women in leadership roles to work diligently and professionally to demonstrate to society that they are capable of holding such positions.

This would help in breaking down the concept of a male-dominated society, illustrating the situation when she assumed office in 2021, with some people having no faith in a woman leading the country.

Some of them were suggesting that she would be a president who is directed on what to do, simply obeying orders, but she refused to be discouraged by such comments, choosing instead to work hard and professionally to bring about positive results that would instill confidence in her leadership and put to rest those misconceptions.

During the past four years she has managed to change the negative public perception that a woman cannot lead, and encouraged women leaders to work towards building trust among those with a negative outlook by defying negative predictions, thus gaining their trust.

She also reminded women to actively participate in the coming general elections, encouraging one another to run for leadership positions and to vote in order to increase the number of women in vital decision-making roles. She was persuaded that during her leadership, the country has made progress in economic, political, social and diplomatic spheres.

She reminded those in leadership of the important task of educating society that gender equality is not about women seeking to be above men. It is a requirement of Article 12 of the Tanzanian Constitution which states that all human beings are born free and equal, although they may be differentiated by upbringing and culture.

Women need to use opportunities given to them through the anniversary training session to help other women seeking to rise, advising graduates to use the leadership skills they have learned to spark development in their communities, ensuring that the community has trust and is at peace in the areas where they live, especially for girls.

Education or leadership positions should not make women forget their responsibilities in raising their children as this has significant consequences, she said, similarly reminding women to participate in the upcoming general elections by running for various positions, encouraging others to do so and voting to increase the number of qualified women in decision-making positions.

This is their time to challenge the notion that a woman's enemy is another woman, as the real enemies of women are harmful traditions and economic deprivation, she emphasised.

Ridhiwani Kikwete, the Labour, Youth, Employment and People with Disability state minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),  hailed ATE for organising leadership training for women, which this year marks its 10th anniversary.

This had brought significant achievements, including promoting workplace equality, he said, while ATE executive director Suzanne Ndomba-Doran, mentioned that since the programme began in 2016, it has benefitted 643 women from public institutions and the private sectors.

In its tenth phase, the programme had 110 participants, more than in previous phases, with the number of participants increasing each year. Discussions have started with the police force to ensure that the training benefits women in the force as well, she added.