By TheCitizen Reporter
Posted Thursday, June 20 2013 at 20:07
Posted Thursday, June 20 2013 at 20:07
In Summary
Dar es Salaam. For the first
time Tanzania will host the First African Ladies’ summit, to be attended
by US First Lady Michele Obama and some former first ladies from the US
and Britain.
The summit, scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam from July 2 to 3, is being applauded by a cross-section of Tanzanian women
who see it as special opportunity to share progressive ideas and an
indication of Tanzania’s acceptability at the international level.
According to a statement released by the Tanzania
Information Services (Maelezo), African First Ladies from across the
continent will gather at the George W. Bush Institute’s African First
Ladies Summit.
The summit, which is set to bring together at
least eight wives of African Heads of State, whose theme is: Investing
in Women, Strengthening Africa.
It has been established that among other things, the Summit will focus on the important role that First Ladies play in promoting women’s education, health and economic empowerment.
“With the support from ExxonMobil, the Summit will
bring together African First Ladies, government officials, private
organisations, NGOs and academics to discuss best practices,
particularly within public-private partnerships that can reap
sustainable, replicable results, benefit women and strengthen society,”
reads part of the statement.
The former US president, Mr George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are expected to deliver keynote speeches at the Summit.
From outside the continent, the summit will be
attended by the current US First Lady, Mrs Michelle Obama, former wife
of the British Prime Minister Mrs Cherie Blair and the UN Goodwill
Ambassador for Cancer Control, Ms Nancy G. Brinker.
Others in the list are: Executive Director, Global
Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Mr Mark Dybul, the
Co-Founder and CEO, KickStart International, Dr Martin Fisher, President
of Merck vaccines, Dr Julie Gerberding, President of ExxonMobil
Foundation, Ms Suzanne McCarron, the Ambassador, Office of Global Health
Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State, Ms Leslie Rowe and Executive
Director, Unaids, Undersecretary-General of the United Nations, Ms Michel Sidibé
African First Ladies whose attendance has been
confirmed are: Ms Chantal Campaore (Burkina Faso) Ms Roman Tesfaye
(Ethiopia) Ms Maria da Luz Dai Guebuza (Mozambique) Ms PenehupifoPohamba (Namibia) and Ms Sia Nyama Koroma (Sierra Leone).
Others include the host, Mama Salma, Ms Janet Kataaha Museveni (Uganda) and Ms Christine Kaseba (Zambia).
Issues to be presented and discussed include
empowering women entrepreneurs through training and technology,
providing opportunities and improving agricultural outcomes for female
farmers and a life-saving collaboration to combat cervical and breast
Cancer.
The First Ladies will also discuss critical interventions in
education by going through the state of literacy, access to education
and teacher training as well as the need to invest in women’s economic
empowerment, health and education in general.
Commenting on the importance of the summit to
Tanzania women and wananchi at large, some women, mostly activists and
politicians, told The Citizen that the meeting would open up Tanzania
women’s minds and enable them to be heard and supported.
Ms Jenista Mhagama (CCM- Peramiho MP), said it was a big respect for Tanzania to be the host of the high profiled meeting.
She said meeting First Ladies from various
countries of Africa and other from US and Europe would enable Tanzanians
women, especially those in leadership positions to create a sense of
confidence. Ms Mhagama who is also a parliamentary chairperson and a
head of the parliamentary committee for Community Development said the
summit would boost economic activities and connect Tanzanians with
international traders.
“This meeting will enable Tanzanian women to
participate directly in dialogues with high profile people, they will
exchange skills, ideas and address … this will enable us to know a lot
from them especially in education, health and economic related issues,”
said Ms Mhagama.
The executive director of the Legal and Human Rights Centre
(LHRC) Dr Kijjo Bisimba said the meeting would attract Heads of State to
listen to wananchi’s problems.
She said since the Summit is set to discuss
various issues and challenges facing women in the African countries and
it is obvious Tanzanian leaders would be interested to listen and later respond to such problems.
“We can use this opportunity as a platform to air
our views, discuss our problems and share experiences; it is obvious
that the presence of such leaders will draw attention and enable us to
be heard,” she said.
Dr Bisimba added that Tanzania women, especially
the young, will learn a lot from people they regard as role models of
their lives.
She said: “I am sure we will understand that
sometimes these women do not speak on the basis of their first ladies’
titles, but as women who are touched by problems facing the society.”
The executive director of Tanzania gender
networking programme (TNGP), Ms Usu Mallya, said the Summit would
provide a good opportunity for Tanzania women to discuss various issues
including the accountability in the First Ladies’ institutions.
She said Tanzanian women should use the
opportunity to evaluate the differences among such institutions and
those in Europe and what they have in common. The Summit will bring together people with different ideas, skills and
outlooks; this will enable Tanzanians to know where they are and where
they are heading,” she said.
