The Institutional Framework Guiding the Decision Making in the Tanzanian Local Government Authorities

Are they gender sensitive?

Abstract

Men and women have equal rights to participate in the governance of a country and its decision-making organs. However, the institutional framework that governs the operations of local government plays a crucial role in shaping their participation. Therefore, this paper aims to address two questions: What is the institutional framework in which the council makes its decisions, and how does it affect women's participation in decision-making? The information concerning the institutional framework and how it influences the participation of female councillors was collected through a documentary review to examine how they influence women’s participation in decision making. Making decisions in the Local Government Authority (LGA) is a collective process that involves all councillors in their committees and the full council after receiving issues from the ward and village/street. While the council is the supreme policy and decision-making body in the LGA, the council executes its responsibilities through the council standing committees and other statutory sub-committees. The institutional framework guiding the decision making include constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977, the Local Government Act number 7 & 8 of 1982 and the council standing orders and they were found that they do not make a distinction between male and female councillors. The provisions and the principles are the same with an assumption that all councillors are equal in terms of capacities, skills, knowledge and experiences. The current institutional framework often fails to incorporate gender-sensitive policies and mechanisms that would facilitate and encourage women's participation in decision making processes. This paper suggests restructuring the institutional framework of the Tanzanian LGA to make it more gender-responsive, thus promoting gender equality and empowering women to effectively raise their concerns during the decision making.