- In Tanzania, women are less likely than men to have secondary or post-secondary education (23% vs. 32%). o Citizens overwhelmingly say it is rare or unheard of for families to prevent girls from going to school because they prioritise boys’ education (90%) and for schoolgirls to face discrimination, harassment, or demands for sexual favours from teachers (86%), though about one in 10 respondents disagree.
- Among Tanzanians aged 18-65, men are more likely than women to hold full-time jobs (44% vs. 28%) or part-time jobs (28% vs. 18%). About one in four women (24%) are unemployed and looking for jobs, compared to 16% of men.
- Barriers to women’s entry and advancement in the workplace, according to respondents, include a lack of remote or flexible work arrangements, inadequate education or skills, a lack of childcare, and a preference by employers for hiring men.
- Two-thirds (66%) of Tanzanians reject the idea that men should be favoured over women in hiring. Support for equality is weaker among men (58%) and citizens with no formal education (58%).
- More than seven in 10 respondents (72%) say women should have the same chance as men to be elected to political office.
- Only about one in 10 Tanzanians (11%) say women frequently encounter sexual harassment in public spaces. A majority (70%) think it’s likely that women and girls who report discrimination or harassment will be believed.
- Even if most Tanzanians don’t see discrimination and harassment as frequent problems, they overwhelmingly (75%) say the police and courts need to do more to protect women and girls from these threats.
Over the past two decades, Tanzanian women have made significant strides in education, political representation, and economic participation. The female labour-force participation rate rose from 67% in 2000 to 80% in 2019, well above the average of 63% for sub-Saharan Africa and among the highest rates on the continent (World Bank, 2022). At the same time, women now hold about 38% of National Assembly seats, supported by a quota system that reserves some seats to ensure representation (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2024). Education outcomes also show progress as female secondary-school enrolment grew from just 4% in 1991 to 29% in 2021 (World Bank, 2024).
The Tanzanian Constitution enshrines gender equality, and the country has ratified key international and regional conventions on women’s empowerment, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1986 (United Nations Treaty Collection, n.d.) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) in 2003 (African Union, n.d.). The National Strategy for Gender Development (United Republic of Tanzania, 2000) and related sector strategies aim to reduce gender disparities by boosting girls’ school enrolment, expanding women’s access to financial services, and promoting women’s political participation (World Bank, 2020).
Despite these measures, women remain disproportionately represented in low-paid and insecure jobs. According to the 2020/2021 Integrated Labour Force Survey, informal employment in Tanzania increased from 22% of all employed persons in 2014 to 29% in 2020/2021, with women more likely than men to be engaged in such work (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022).
Afrobarometer Round 10 survey data confirm persistent gender gaps in education and employment. Despite majority support for gender equality in hiring, women remain underrepresented in formal employment, a fact that respondents blame on barriers such as inflexible work arrangements, a lack of childcare, and an employer preference for hiring men. Even if most Tanzanians don’t see gender discrimination and sexual harassment as a common problem, they overwhelmingly say the police and courts need to do more to protect women and girls from these threats.
