I have a dream that 75 percent of MPs in our parliament will be women

There was a smattering of applause, a few cheers, a few grunts of disapproval. Mostly, there was also a delightfully awkward silence from the rest of us who did what Tanzanians often do when we disagree with a speaker: Nothing. We are an oral culture so our public speech includes call-and-response. Here, silence does NOT mean consent.

So let’s talk about it.

A roomful of women is a microcosm of Tanzania, just smarter. Our gathering contained a credible range of positions on everything from religiosity to party politics to views on marriage and other issues.

During the meeting, there were those of us who did not stand during prayer, some of us who did not respond to the CCM call of “Kazi Iendelee,” who requested that we stop referring to women by the “honorific” of Mama in front of their titles, who had tough questions for the older generation, who generally messed with the idea of a hive mind. Of course there was dissent about being told who to vote for, no matter who was asking.

I am on record on The Chanzo asking women specifically and progressives in general to vote for the incumbent because she is a woman. I won’t take it back either: “Men make better leaders” is the refrain I have heard my whole life even though there is no evidence to support the claim.

It would take a few millenia of women in power to even begin to examine this premise with data, we might as well begin now. If we are disciplined about it, maybe humans from 4000 CE will have the results of the experiment.

By then, the question will hopefully be moot as we will be beyond the nonsense that engendered it anyways.

Tanzania has had women in key positions in its sixty-something years: President, Defence, Finance and Foreign. Once we breach the walls of Home Affairs, I will be able to start another list, one where we move beyond token levels of representation to start enjoying real participation, real citizenship and full rights. One where we vote women into parliament at a minimum of 33 percent and a maximum of 75 percent of our own free will.

Last year, I only had one option for the 2025 ballot that served my feminist ‘guerrilla’ agenda. This year? I have two. That’s right, two. ACT-Wazalendo backed the late Anna Mghirwa’s bid for president in 2015, now they have Dorothy Semu running in 2025. I only had to wait a decade for the only thing better than one woman on top, namely more women on top.

Sasa, if you choose to remain seated and protest my proposed antics through silence, I can respect that. Ultimately the point is to have a range of positions on issues of importance, including the place of women in politics beyond party, ideology or even cult of personality.

By suggesting that one gender be entirely ignored at the ballot in favour of the other I have provoked a few of you to a rage that you might have to examine. I hope you have the tools for it.

Happy Women’s Month, and you are welcome.

Elsie Eyakuze is an independent consultant and blogger for The Mikocheni Report.