TELECOMS SHOULD INVEST IN INITIATIVES THAT EMPOWER WOMEN

Last week, women across Africa took part in events to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The occasion celebrates women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements and urges discussion on how to accelerate gender equality.

In Tanzania, gender equality for women has increased in recent years due to efforts by the Government to improve access to education and guaranteeing women’s rights to own and use land.

Despite this progress, more can still be done to help pave the way forward for women.

One example is in the area of technology and communications. According to a recent study, there is a 9 percent gap between male and female mobile phone ownership in Tanzania. The study also highlights that this gap increases to 13 per cent between male and female mobile internet users in Tanzania.

It is well known that digital connectivity is one of the best ways of boosting the living standards of Tanzanians. For example, it provides a useful tool for accessing finance, medical insurance and boosting job opportunities for small and medium size enterprises.

Today, digital connectivity is providing women who were previously excluded from the mainstream financial system with a way of improving their financial independence and security. In turn, this helps them access employment opportunities and support their families.

Fortunately, Tanzania’s telecom sector has provided new and innovative ways to gain access to our financial services such as through mobile banking.

Companies such as Tigo have developed mobile-based apps which have helped women manage their finances. For example, Tigo’s mobile money app allows women to save, make payments and access credit.

As well as providing women with a means of accessing financial services, Tigo is helping to ensure that they are trained and equipped with the skills needed to take advantage of services such as mobile banking.

As such, Tigo has launched initiatives such as Apps and Girls where digital training is given to students in schools and the community.

It should be remembered, however, that telecom’s effort in this area has been made possible by years of investment into the sector by Tigo and its competitors. This has created the foundation for initiatives which have helped empower women and the wider community.

In order to ensure that companies like Tigo continue to invest in initiatives like these, it is crucial that we continue to support the sector through investment and a favorable regulatory market.

Let us work together to continue supporting women across our country.

Magreth Kabali
Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology & Women in Technology Tanzania
17.03.2020