Abstract
This paper examines the leadership status of women in the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF). It was guided by three specific objectives: to understand the position of women’s leadership role; identify the challenges constraining women from holding leadership positions; and to examine the measures being taken to enable women hold leadership positions in the TPDF. It collected opinions from the research participants serving—or who served—in the military regarding the position of women as leaders. The study leading to the paper employed a qualitative research approach to collect data from 22 purposively selected respondents. The study found that women hold low leadership status within the TPDF as the majority of senior leadership positions are predominantly held by men. The findings further showed that while some measures have been taken to uplift women’s careers in the military, there are contextual and cultural barriers that still constrain them from holding senior leadership positions. Contextually, there is a laxity in underscoring gender mainstreaming despite the institutional initiatives to address gender diversity gaps in the TPDF. Culturally, there are still uncertainties over the position that women should occupy in the military. A long history of presenting the military as a male career still discourages a significant gender transformation in the military, thereby engendering the adoption of an incremental approach to women’s acquisition of leadership roles in the TPDF. Thus, to effectively coordinate women’s empowerment initiatives in the military, the study recommends the formulation of a gender policy for the armed forces.
Recommended Citation
Mujuni, Martin and Babeiya,, Edwin
(2024)
"Men and Women in Uniform: Insiders’ Perspectives on Women’s Leadership Status in Tanzania People’s Defence Force,"
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 13:
No.
1, Article 8.
DOI: 10.56279.13.1.4
Available at:
https://commons.udsm.ac.tz/jhss/vol13/iss1/8