AS Tanzania prepares to join the rest of the world to celebrate Women’s Day tomorrow, Ardhi University (ARU) management has vowed to empower women at the university to work hard and be employed in decision-making positions.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, ARU Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Evaristo Liwa, said he was optimistic that the next ViceChancellor would be a woman. He noted that he would like to see it happening after his retirement.
“I urge you (women at the university), especially professional women, to advance your career to be able to expand your professional occupations and eventually be in the position of becoming the next VC,” he said.
Prof Liwa was speaking during the first Women Forum 2020 organised by Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Trade Union (THTU) and the Ardhi University Gender Department.
With the theme ‘Women in Leadership’, the forum was organised ahead of International Women’s Day 2020 to be marked tomorrow worldwide.
Commenting on the development of professional women and other women workers at the university, Prof Liwa said 65 per cent of leaders at the university were women.
He mentioned some of the top positions led by women at the university as Head of Finance and Administration, Dean of Students, Head of Academic, Human Resource and Directors of Departments.
Officiating at the forum, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of College of Business Education (CBE) Tandi Lwoga echoed Prof Liwa, insisting on a need for women professionals to be interested in decision-making positions in their workplace.
Prof Lwoga told the women at the forum that Tanzania had best laws and policies that gave women opportunities to develop and hold more and more leadership positions.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Planning, Finance and Administration (DVC-PFA), Prof Carolyne Nombo, said the country had made progress in the development of women in various areas, including in professional matters, saying more and more women were doing well.
She, however, called for more commitment especially in the implementation of gender policies to give more room to women to keep on progressing for the better future. Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 5 calls for gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Providing women and girls with equal access to education, healthcare, decent work and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will facilitate sustainable economy and benefit society and humanity at large.
