GENDER activists and other stakeholders have hailed the three years of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, advocating gender equality, advancing the transition to clean cooking energy and creating efforts to realize a generation based on equality.

Beng’i Issa, the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) executive secretary, said in an interview in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the three years of the sixth phase presidency have demonstrated commitment to address women’s challenges in the political and socio-economic arena.

Efforts have been made to provide the necessary leadership, resources and support needed to ensure there is more visibility on issues pertaining to women, she said, noting that this effort is synonymous with creating the national advisory and coordinating committee for Generation Equality Forum (GEF).

It is tasked with advising the president on gender issues as a champion of generation equality focused on women’s economic justice and rights.

President Samia also created various forums for women economic empowerment, starting from 2017 when she was vice president, being part of the women economic empowerment group working with UN Women, she said.

There have been over 3500 women economic empowerment forums with upwards of 600,000 members formed since 2017, she said, noting that these forums serve as important infrastructure to deliberate on economic issues involving women.

The platforms have capable leaders tasked to ensure women are helped, supported and helping to improve skills, she said, elaborating that it is through these forums that women have a chance to meet with various government agencies and development stakeholders.

Dr Mzuri Issa, the Tanzania Media Women’s Association in Zanzibar (TAMWA Zanzibar) director, said that President Samia is devoted to addressing challenges to good governance by advancing gender equality.

As shortcomings exist in many areas, especially in the economy, to take on politics you need financial power, seeking quality life or access to social services, running a family, and demanding financial capability, she stated.

This is why the president has pushed to create many women economic empowerment forums and enact policies focused to help women grow economically, she stated.

Mwajuma Magwiza, a member of the GEF coordinating committee, lauded the clean cooking energy initiative, noting that it will not only decrease women’s time to engage with home chores but widen women’s exposure to income generation activities.

The initiative will shed the search for firewood, freeing women to engage in economic activities, she said, noting that women will also be less vulnerable to gender-based violence in frequenting the bush.

Domestic violence also comes up due to delayed completion of tasks such as cooking for the family which is tied to seeking firewood, she emphasised.

Launching a clear gender policy is another step towards promoting gender equality as the new policy has updated issues pertaining to gender equality and women empowerment via women’s economic justice and rights, she added.