Gender, Poverty

1
Gender, Poverty Employment in Tanzania

• Key points from recent analytical studies
• Waheeda Shariff (Carpe Diem Ink)
• Technical Support from ILO
• Inputs from the Gender Macro Policy Working Group

2
Data available to us

• Availability of data during the first phase of
  PRS implementation has increased substantially
• A number of studies have been carried out in the
  last 3-4 years that have informed us on the
  gender situation
• These include (but are not limited to) The HBS
  2000/1, the ILFS 2000/1, the PHDR 2002 2003,
  and the FHH study

3
Labor Force Participation

• Significant increase in male participation rates
  from 73 to 81
• Marginal increase in women in the workforce from
  71 to 73

4
Unemployment

• During the 1990s, unemployment has increased
  substantially, particularly in urban areas
• Women form a much higher proportion of the
  unemployed
• Unemployment is especially high amongst young
  people

5
Female Employment by Industry (SIDA and ILFS)
6
Female Economic Activity
7
Earning Capacity

• Women form 66 of unpaid family helpers
• They are 2/3 of those engaged in household duties
• They are less likely than men to be
  self-employees (with or without employees)
• Women earn less than men in spite of similar
  education levels

8
Employment Poverty

• Households with formal sector incomes tend to be
  less poor
• Households engaged in agriculture tend to be more
  poor (70 of HH heads are engaged in agriculture)
• Households whose heads have some formal education
  tend to be less poor

9
Employment Poverty (cnt)

• Women engaged in agriculture in rural areas are
  amongst the poorest
• There is a significant shift to self-employment
  and very small trading activities by women
• Women are over-represented in low skill, low pay
  jobs, particularly in agriculture and elementary
  occupations
• Women form ¾ of those too old to work and 2/3 of
  those too sick to work

10
Employment Poverty (cnt)

• Patterns of occupational distribution between
  genders is partly due to
• culturally determined sexual division of labor
• Education levels access
• Lack of opportunity for women
• Lack of representation in decision-making bodies

11
Education

• 41 of rural women are illiterate, compared to
  23.9 of rural men
• The percentage of women with no education has
  declined marginally
• Enrollment (for both men and women) in adult
  literacy classes has dropped significantly

12
Education (cnt)

• Primary school enrollment for boys and girls has
  equalized, but
• Girls performance rates are significantly lower
  than boys (21.4 for girls, 36.2 for boys)
• Girls are less likely to remain in school after
  the age of 13
• Girls have lower performance in science subjects
  and do not pursue careers in these fields

13
Education (cnt)

• School environments support gender stereotypes in
  subject choices for girls
• School facilities are lacking in terms of
  distance and facilities (particularly for girls)
• At tertiary level, only 6 of students in
  technical/vocational training institutions are
  women
• Women comprise lower enrollments at universities

14
Education (cnt)

• At tertiary level, higher proportions of women
  receive training in humanities, arts and
  education
• They also form a higher proportion of those who
  receive training but are unemployed
• Low numbers of women receive training in finance,
  engineering, etc

15
Health

• There is a significant decrease in numbers of
  births attended by trained professionals (8
  decline)
• Female HIV/AIDS incidence has risen from 5.9 to
  13.3
• The greatest increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence is
  with young women

16
Health (cnt)

• Children in rural areas are twice as likely to be
  stunted (a sign of chronic under-nutrition)
• This is mainly sue to inappropriate feeding
  practices, low rates of breastfeeding and low
  frequency of breastfeeding
• The gendered division of labor at household level
  and patriarchal allocation of household resources
  contribute to this

17
Health (cnt)

• Teenage pregnancies increase from the age of 15
• Girls enrollment at secondary level fall quickly
  in relation to child-bearing frequency
• Only 19 of births to uneducated mothers are
  attended by trained professionals (compared to
  80 for educated women)

18
Female Headed Households

• The proportion of FHH has increased from 17.6 to
  22.9
• FHH are common in urban areas
• FHH are no more poor than MHH, but are more
  vulnerable to poverty
• They have less land, less formal education,
  higher dependency ratios, less experience with
  credit, and rely on casual labor

19
Laws and legislation

• Tanzania is a patriarchal society where men
  dominate in politics and the economy
• Customary law still prevails, especially in rural
  areas
• Womens access to productive resources is limited

20
Laws legislation (cnt)

• Employment laws do not provide adequate
  safeguards for women employees
• Some employment laws are not gender sensitive in
  language
• There is no provision for women to be represented
  in decision-making bodies (e.g. education boards,
  labor tribunals, trade unions)

21
Politics and Access to Information

• Women are underrepresented at all levels of
  politics
• Women generally have less access to information
  than men, given literacy levels
• Information on womens rights, government
  policies and laws affecting them do not reach
  enough women

22
So What Do We Do Now?

• -

23
Information

• More information must be made available to women,
  especially in rural areas
• This is being done by civil society to a certain
  extent
• What is required are mass information campaigns
  on basic rights (health, education, land,
  inheritance)

24
Information (cnt)

• Information must be provided in appropriate
  language and format in order to reach the target
  audience
• All media channels should be used, especially
  radio, which has the widest outreach
• Information should not be targeted at women only,
  as men also need to understand the issues and
  impacts

25
Information (cnt)

• Working relationships between government and
  development partners, civil society and the media
  should be implemented to reach mass audiences
• Partnerships with the private sector have a lot
  of potential and should also be utilized to
  maximize this

26
Employment Opportunities

• More employment opportunities must be created for
  the poor, particularly women
• Employment in agriculture should be enhanced
  through direct investment
• An enabling environment for the informal sector
  must also be created
• SACCOs and micro-credit must be made available to
  women

27
Health

• ARV should be provided to young women as a
  priority
• Cost-sharing for basic health services should be
  suspended until an effective system can be put in
  place that does not disadvantage the poor

28
Education

• Learning needs of young women should be addressed
  in gender-biased curriculums
• School committees should be geared up to deal
  with gender issues
• Secondary schools for girls should be increased,
  and proper facilities be put in place to cater
  for girls as a priority

29
Education (cnt)

• The focus of education needs to shift from
  quantity to quality in order to address
  performance issues
• Programs need to be put on place that capture
  girls who have dropped out/missed school

30
Laws, legislation politics

• The effects of the new Land Act need to be
  closely monitored
• Trade unions should be supported to review
  employment practices for gender bias
• Womens representation on decision-making bodies
  should be increased in order to represent their
  concerns (at both national and local levels)