Women Participation in Elections: Expectations and Challenges at Magomeni Ward in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania

Josephine Abraham¹ , George Julius Babune²

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.9 , Issue.4 , pp.34-43, Apr-2023

Online published on Apr 30, 2023

Copyright © Josephine Abraham, George Julius Babune . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

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Abstract :
The practice of participation has received varied outcomes as it is for its conceptualization and perceived benefits. The paper examined the level of awareness of women`s participation informed by expectations and challenges in the practice of local elections in Tanzania. It utilized the case study of Magomeni ward, Bagamoyo district to inform the mixed approach paradigm. Using a sample of 30 women participants, data were collected using key informant interviews, questionnaire survey, and Focus Group Discussion. The results indicated that despite the high level of expectations of awareness on women`s leadership at the local level there were low experiences on women`s capacity to excel on political matters limited by economic, cultural, and political challenges. These altogether deter the practical satisfaction of community members on women leaders. However, women leaders were found to be confident and expressive of satisfying community expectations in leadership positions. It was concluded that there were high potential expectations of women`s participation in local elections in the Magomeni ward despite low practices influenced by political, cultural, and economic challenges that surround women as actors of participation in elections in the area. It was recommended that more investment is needed to uproot the socially constructed realities underpinning women at family, society, and individual attitudinal levels that may find solutions by instituting a gender centred educational system from kinder care to university levels together with a community-based approach to gender equality in all formal and informal institutions.

Key-Words / Index Term :
Challenges, Expectation, Elections and Women participation

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