Empowering Maasai women in Tanzania

Maasai women are among the poorest and most marginalised groups in Tanzanian society. A local women-led organisation – the Pastoral Women’s Council – works to improve the lives of Maasai pastoralist women and children by increasing their access to social services and economic empowerment.

Research from the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC), in Tanzania, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), in the UK, examines how the work of the PWC helps women to claim their rights and address their basic livelihood needs.

The Maasai community lives in Ngorongoro District in the Arusha Region of northeast Tanzania. They are pastoralists: semi-nomadic livestock keepers who move with their herds. But their livelihood and way of life are under constant threat because the Tanzanian government does not recognise their land-use rights.

Women in patriarchal Maasai communities are especially disadvantaged. They have no right to own property or livestock, have very limited access to education, and lack the power to make decisions about their own lives (for example, girls are often forced into marriage). Maasai women also lack political representation at all levels, from community to national government.

The Pastoral Women’s Council was founded in 1997 to address the problems Maasai women face. It began by setting up women’s action groups, which provided a forum for women to meet and discuss issues affecting them individually and as a community. The PWC’s approach is to encourage communities to play an active role in designing and implementing their development projects.

The PWC supports activities in six key areas: educational opportunities for girls and women; a credit scheme to help raise women’s incomes; a revolving livestock programme to promote property ownership for women; a small-scale agricultural development programme to enhance household food security; promoting women’s rights and leadership by raising their awareness of politics, legislation and rights; and working to secure indigenous rights to natural resources.

The PWC’s main achievements to date include:

• Women have gained confidence, skills, knowledge and respect in different areas of their lives. 
• Formal education opportunities for Maasai girls have improved. 
• The credit scheme has provided financial support to more than 300 women, enabling them to own property, engage in cattle trading, and learn new skills. 
• Women are participating in politics, village government meetings and school committees.
• Women are taking ownership of the PWC programme and raising funds locally for community projects.

Changing culturally rooted norms and systems in any society takes time and considerable effort. Key lessons from the PWC’s work include: 

• Committed staff and a strong management committee are essential. 
• Setting realistic objectives and having a focused agenda are important. 
• Past successes need to be built on to develop community support and trust in the organisation. 
• Working within and across the community with both women and men is critical.
• Developing strong partnerships with donors and building networks with other organisations inside and outside Tanzania is very important.