WOMEN councillors and young political leaders have been urged to take social media management seriously to understand how to effectively use the platforms, avoid pitfalls and leverage them to achieve their political goals.

“In today’s digital age, it is important for politicians, especially women, to explore social media as one of the essential tools to help them push their strategies and maximize their impact in society. Politicians can also use social media to protect their reputations and achieve success,” said Ruth John, Morogoro District Administrative Secretary at the opening of a one-day capacity building workshop on digital security and data protection. 

The workshop that was held in Morogoro Region on Tuesday brought together women councillors and young political leaders from Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Pwani regions. It was organized by Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE), Youth Environmental Justice and Gender Equality (YOGE) and Article 19. 

 She challenged them to make sure they use social media productively by circulating information that ultimately builds a positive image for themselves as well as the nation. She said it is important for women leaders to be careful with what they share on social media because there are a number of young girls expecting to learn from what they do. 

John added that with the rise of social media, politicians must take their social media management seriously to succeed in the political arena. She insisted on the need for them to make sure that content posted on their social media is accurate to avoid tarnishing their image. 

She said digital security and data protection is crucial as social media platforms are powerful enough to enable them reach constituents and potential voters.

 Rose Ngunangwa, TAMCODE executive director, said the training was conducted after realizing gaps in social media management amongst women councillors and young politicians. She said the achieved knowledge would help to properly manage and use social media during the coming campaigns for civic polls scheduled for later this year as well as the 2025 General Election. 

"Women have not yet acquired enough knowledge on the use of social media platforms to empower themselves economically. This is why TAMCODE, YOGE and Article 19 teamed up to build the capacity of women councillors and young politicians, she said.

 Philomena Mwalongo, YOGE executive director said the training was aimed at empowering women councillors and young politicians to ensure they use social media profitably. 

“There are some women politicians who are also entrepreneurs; make use of social media to promote your products as well as to look for markets. Digital platforms are a power tool to make you excel in politics and maximize business profit,” she said.