The Rural Women Development Association is a shinning example of what the Tanzanians can do for themselves and in the particular case of its founder, Gloria, a wonderful example of what education and training can do to a woman and how that education can be re–invested into the country.
There are many women in Tanzania with the drive and determination to help themselves, their families, their communities as well as contribute to the progress of the nation.
We want you to believe that they are more than able to turn the tables but that, like any of us in the rich world, they do need a helping hand. For the majority of them it starts with education.
We want to dedicate this page to the success stories of Tanzanian women and we will keep adding them on here as we discover them. We will tell you of big and small stories as success is all relative. But let’s kick off with some really impressive ones.
Dr Asha-Rose Migiro
Deputy Secretary General of the UN
Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro of Tanzania took office as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 February 2007. She is the third Deputy Secretary-General to be appointed since the post was established in 1997.
Dr. Migiro served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2006-2007 — the first woman in the United Republic of Tanzania to hold that position since its independence in 1961. Before that, she was Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children for five years. As Foreign Minister, Dr. Migiro spearheaded Tanzania ‘s engagement in the pursuit of peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region. She served as Chair of the Council of Ministers’ meetings of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, a process that culminated into a Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region. Read more
Grace Chimile Rubambey
Independent Consultant and Microfinance Expert
Former Director in the Governor’s Office of the Central Bank of Tanzania
Ms. Grace Chimile Rubambey is an economist and one of the leading rural and microfinance experts in Tanzania with more than 28 years experience at the Central Bank of Tanzania. In 2007, she left the Bank to become an independent consultant, providing consulting services in the areas of rural and microfinance as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Mrs. Rubambey served as Director in the Governor’s Office of the Central Bank of Tanzania in 2006. Between 1998 and 2005, she established and managed the Bank’s Directorate of Microfinance. As Director of Microfinance, she oversaw formulation of the legal, regulatory and supervisory framework for microfinance as well as the drafting of the National Microfinance Policy, which became the first such policy in Eastern and Southern Africa and has been recognized as one of the best in the microfinance industry. Read more
Dr Anna Tibaijuka
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN-HABITAT
Director-General, United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
Anna Tibaijuka is the first African woman elected by the UN General Assembly as Under-Secretary-General of a United Nations programme. She is currently serving a second, four-year term as Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT.
A Tanzanian national born to smallholder banana-coffee farmers in Muleba, Tanzania, she was educated at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in Uppsala. In October 2006, she was appointed Director-General of the United Nations Offices in Nairobi (UNON), the only UN headquarters in Africa and the developing world. She has served as a Member of the Commission for Africa established by British Prime Minister Tony Blair which resulted in the cancellation of multilateral debt for several African countries by the G8 Summit in 2005 at Glen Eagles, Scotland. Read more
Ms Anne Makinda
The first woman speaker of the Tanzanian National Assembly
Anne Makinda made history on 12 November 2010 by polling 265 votes out of a possible 327 and becoming the first woman speaker of the National Assembly. It was a resounding vote of confidence from all sides of the house.
Born on 15th July 1949 in Njombe, Iringa region, she started practicing politics in primary school where she was an active member of the youth wing of Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), the party that brought independence to Mainland Tanzania. A daughter of Regional Commissioner during Nyerere’s era, she got her secondary education at Masasi Girls (O- Level 1965 – 1968) where she was also very active in politics as chairperson of the TANU Youth League branch.At Kilakala Girls’ Secondary School (Marian College) where she studied for A-Level from 1969 to 1970, Makinda was appointed student leader.After secondary education she joined the Morogoro-based Institute of Development Management (IDM) where she earned Advanced Diploma in Administration (ADA) between 1971 and 1975, majoring in accountancy. She joined active politics at a prime age of 23 in 1975 when she was nominated MP through the TANU youth wing, becoming the youngest female legislator of her generation.
