Participation of Women Leaders in Local Decision-Making Structures in Tanzania: A Case of Dodoma Urban and Bahi Districts

Women participation in politics has captured the attention of many scholars and women rights activists world-wide. However, the question whether women political leaders make impact in local governance decision making structures or not remains under explored one in gender and political research. This paper examines the extent to which women leaders participate in local governance structures in Tanzania. Drawing from liberal feminism, and by utilizing interviews, focus group discussion, a household survey and observation methods to study women leaders in Dodoma Urban and Bahi Districts; the findings reveal mixed perspectives regarding the influence of women leaders in local governance decision-making structures. That is to say; while it is possible to increase the number of women representatives in local governance decision making structures such as local committees through quotas and other affirmative actions, their involvement in decision-making processes proves to be complex. The paper recommends targeted interventions to empower women leaders at the grassroots and dismantle systemic barriers within the local governance structures.