More than 3,000 residents filled Kalangalala Grounds in Geita Municipality on March 8 as Tanzania joined the world in marking International Women’s Day with speeches, cultural performances and demonstrations. The celebration brought together women’s groups, government leaders, guests and community members for a day built around women’s rights and achievement.
Geita Regional Commissioner Martin Shigella hosted the event, while Dorothy Gwajima served as guest of honor and Zawadi Nassor attended from Zanzibar as deputy minister for Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. Elder Thierry Mutombo and Sister Judith Mhina Spendi represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, adding another layer to a gathering that blended public policy, faith and community organizing.
The numbers mattered because the event was not a small ceremony but a large public show of support in a region where women’s economic opportunities remain a central issue. Gwajima, who has more than 20 years of experience in leadership across medicine, public health, social welfare and government administration, urged women to join economic empowerment groups. She said those groups give women a place to share experiences, support one another and talk through the challenges they face while working to improve their economic well-being. She also said the groups strengthen women’s economic independence and improve livelihoods.
Gwajima also called on communities to promote traditions that protect children’s rights and well-being. After the speeches, Shigella inaugurated the PAMOJA Project, a gender-equality initiative in Tanzania focused on women’s economic empowerment, preventing gender-based violence and assisting in early childhood development. The launch gave the day a concrete policy edge, turning a celebration into a platform for action.
That practical turn sat beside a broader message from the Church representatives. Spendi said the Relief Society was founded in 1842 to help women pool their resources and unite their efforts in serving and supporting people in their communities. Mutombo said, “We are blessed to have sisters in our Church, and much of what we accomplish in our Church and families is due to their selfless services.” He also said, “We can follow Jesus Christ’s example of showing kindness and respect to the women in our lives,” and spoke about Jesus Christ’s treatment of Mary Magdalene and his respect for women.
The day in Geita showed how International Women’s Day can still serve as more than a calendar observance. In tanzania, the challenge now is whether the promises made at Kalangalala Grounds and the goals attached to PAMOJA will move beyond the stage and into daily life for the women the event was meant to honor.