The Institutional Frameworks 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 nation and its decision-making bodies. Decision-making in the Local Government Authority (LGA) is a collective process that involves all councillors in their committees and the council after addressing issues from the wards and villages/streets. The Council is the LGA's highest policy and decision-making body, exercising its responsibilities through standing committees and statutory sub-committees. This paper aims to identify the institutional frameworks through which the council makes its decisions and examine how these influence women's participation in decision-making. A documentary review approach was employed to gather data from various documents. Content analysis was guided by three predetermined themes: equity, equality, and gender in decision-making. The findings indicate that the current institutional frameworks applied in LGAs encompass the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977, the Local Government Acts 7 and 8 of 1982, and the council standing orders. However, the provisions and principles do not differentiate between male and female councillors during decision-making, assuming all councillors possess equal capabilities, skills, knowledge, and experience. This paper advocates for incorporating gender-sensitive policies and mechanisms that facilitate and encourage women's participation in decision-making within the existing institutional frameworks. Restructuring the institutional framework of the Tanzanian LGA to make it more gender-responsive is expected to promote gender equality and empower women to raise their concerns during decision-making effectively.