My dear nieces and nephews,
As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, I find myself unsettled. There is a rising, flawed notion being whispered in the streets, spoken in hushed tones in barber shops, and even aired loudly in public debates including recently in our national parliament in Dodoma —that the empowerment of girls and women has gone too far, that it is now at best pushing us to forget the boy child and at worst it is disempowering boys and men.
I write to you today, not as a scholar, not as a politician, and not as an activist, but as your uncle who loves you all—boys and girls—and wants to see you thrive together, not at each other’s expense.
Let’s get one thing straight: discrimination against women and girls is still alive and well. If you think women have somehow “won” and men have “lost,” then you are not paying attention. Yes, we have a female president, a female speaker of the National Assembly and several female ministers and ambassadors. And this is inspiring and rightly so.
But, have we forgotten that Tanzania’s Parliament is still overwhelmingly male? That boardrooms, newsrooms, political parties’ senior leadership structures, executive offices, and village councils remain male-dominated? Women and girls continue to face systemic barriers that hold them back, from discriminatory land ownership laws to cultural norms that still prioritise boys’ education over girls’.
Gender-based violence, child marriage, and sexual harassment remain rampant. This is not some distant past we are talking about—it is happening right now, in our communities, in our homes, and we have our ways of silencing these sufferings. So tell me, how exactly has women’s empowerment “gone too far” when these injustices are still here?
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Now, let’s talk about the struggles of young men. Yes, many young men are struggling—bodaboda riders, unemployed graduates, smallholder farmers, artisanal miners, cattle herders, frustrated hustlers trying to make ends meet. But is this because women are being empowered? No. Our education system is failing all of you.
It still prioritises rote memorisation over critical thinking. It still prioritises colorful grades over problem solving. It is not equipping you with the right analytical skills. It is churning out graduates who are not equipped with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to thrive in the globalised and digitalised 21st-century economy.
When a young man finds himself jobless, frustrated, and feeling lost, should we really blame a young woman who is pursuing her dreams? Or should we blame a broken system that has failed to prepare him for life beyond school?
The truth is, the suffering of young men is not a result of women’s empowerment—it is a result of neglecting to build an education system and an economy that supports both men and women. Let us stop this lazy thinking that tries to place blame where it does not belong.
This argument that empowering women weakens men is a textbook example of whataboutism—a distraction from the real issues at hand. Someone once said, it is like seeing someone fix a leaking roof in one room and complaining that another room still has a broken window. Maybe someone didn’t say that and I just made it up. But my point is, we can, and we must, fix both.
I reject the idea that uplifting girls means pushing boys down. This is not a zero-sum game. We are not choosing between the girl child and the boy child. We can empower both. We must empower both. In fact, an empowered woman makes for a stronger family, a stronger community, and a stronger nation.
If you think a strong woman is a threat to a man, then perhaps we need to redefine what it means to be a man. True masculinity is not about dominance—it is about confidence, responsibility, and the ability to stand side by side with strong women, not cower in their presence.
So, my dear nieces and nephews, let us not fall for these false narratives. Yes, our boys and men are struggling, but the solution is not to slow down women’s empowerment—it is to fix the broken systems that are failing us all.
Instead of pointing fingers at the progress of women, let us demand an education system that equips all of you with relevant skills. Let us demand policies that create economic opportunities for all. Let us recognise that lifting one gender does not mean the other must fall.
Perhaps my arguments are not perfect. Perhaps there is nothing new in my arguments. Perhaps I am just an angry uncle putting pen to paper because I could not hold my frustration any longer.
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But one thing I know for sure is this: Tanzania will be stronger when both our boys and girls are empowered, when our women and men walk together, equally strong, equally supported, and equally valued. And that, my dear ones, is the future I will always fight for.
And, remember, there is nothing wrong with being angry and frustrated.
Your Angry Uncle Baru.
Baruani Mshale is the Director of Learning and Strategy at Twaweza East Africa. He can be reached at baruani.mshale@gmail.com or on X as @BMshale. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
