HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY!

Women in different countries celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) differently. Last week in Dar es Salaam, I attended an event in celebration of IWD at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in town. Women came dressed to impress and the theme was African prints or attire. One thing I realized is that African women LOVE to dress in different colours and love to look bright and attractive. All kinds of Swahili Fashion came out and I must say I was very impressed indeed.

Me and and the ladies from Exim Bank.

The sponsors for the event were Oxfam and EXIM Bank among others. Oxfam gave a good brief on how women are creating livelihoods for the families and ultimately for the nation. The role of the woman remains of crucial importance especially for African women who have been placed within stereotype roles for a long time. Oxfam also highlighted the importance of eating healthy as women and how we play an important role of building the nations nutrition through the way we feed our families.

Overall it was a great event and a very culturally enriching experience. Women danced to the entertaining traditional Tanzanian Taarab music. After that a delicious lunch was made consisting of some of Tanzania's popular dishes, pilau and biriani (spicy rice and meat dishes), popular throughout all of East Africa.

Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed. We celebrate the achievements of women while remaining vigilant and tenacious for further sustainable change. There is global momentum for championing women's equality.

Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day. Many groups around the world choose different themes each year relevant to global and local gender issues.

This year’s theme was “THE GENDER AGENDA: GAINING MOMENTUM”