👉 Family and community decision-making systems continue to exclude women from the Productive use of Solar energy in agricultural investment
👉 Lack
of land titles and strict loan requirements prevent women from accessing
solar-powered irrigation technologies
👉 Despite progressive policies and increased budgets, rural women remain left out of the solar energy transition in agriculture
By Emmanuel Chibasa
CHOOSE the Best Leaders for the
Development of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries- This was the government’s slogan
during the 2025 farmers, livestock keepers and fishers exhibition (Nane nane).
The slogan carried hopes for agricultural reforms, productivity, technological
adoption and the welfare of smallholder farmers. Yet for many rural women this
slogan still seems like a promise far from the reality of their daily lives.
.During the opening ceremony of the national exhibition held at Nzuguni grounds in Dodoma, the former Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania Hon. Dr. Philip Mpango urged leaders to recognize their responsibility in implementing the 2050 National Vision and the sector development plans which aim to accelerate agricultural growth to 10 percent per year by 2030 and beyond.
He stated that leaders must
oversee the empowerment of farmers, livestock keepers, and fishers
economically, particularly in terms of access to capital, technology, education
and training as well as access to extension services including promoting good
agricultural practices and encouraging cooperative development and
collaboration between farmers, livestock keepers, fishers, researchers,
extension officers and policymakers. Yet these opportunities still seem out of
reach for some farmers especially in rural areas.
In Rusoli village, rural Musoma
in Mara region farmers report that these opportunities have not reached them
while the effects of climate change are felt every season with droughts
impacting farming. Women and children are identified as the most affected group
since they run rain dependent farming activities putting them at risk of food
insecurity and poverty even as national policies and plans emphasize irrigation
agriculture and the use of renewable energy such as solar. For many farmers especially
women in this village the situation remain completely different.
Rusoli village estimated to
have 8,940 residents, shows that most of the land is owned by men while women
remain users of inherited plots without decision making power or ownership
rights. Oppressive and outdated customs, failure to meet loan requirements and
low awareness of legal rights continue to prevent women from owning land,
making decisions and accessing capital to invest in modern agriculture.
Despite the 1995 National
Land Policy, revised in 2023 clearly emphasizing gender equality in land
ownership and inheritance its implementation has yet to benefit women at the
community level.
Landesa Tanzania reports show
that before these reforms women’s right to inherit land was blocked by clan
customs. Although the new policy has removed these legal barriers many rural
women still live under family and cultural decisions that practically deny them
this right.
Lack of land ownership means
lack of collateral for women leading to difficulty accessing agricultural or
livestock loans. Many financial institutions still require land title deeds as
a main criterion for lending. As a result women are unable to buy solar irrigation
pumps, crop-drying machines or other technologies that could increase
productivity and help adapt to climate change.
At 4:20 a.m. I arrive in
Rusoli village 57 kilometers from Musoma town and meet Bahati Mjarifu Kayema,
62 a mother of six and a farmer. At the time I arrived she was at home instead
of her farm sorting cassava for drying so she could later grind it into flour
for the family’s food. She explained that the drought has forced her to stay
home due to lack of rain in the village.
Bahati says that from January
to December 2025, it rained only twice causing her maize and sorghum to spoil.
She was however, able to harvest some cassava, losing all hope for the other
crops that failed due to drought.
“I wish to practice irrigation farming but here farming decisions are made by men. The farms are owned by men inherited from their parents. Even at our home, the family land is managed by men and I have no land there because I am already married. I really wish to get a loan and quality seeds but as you knows, without collateral we cannot. The rain is like this as you see our crops are destroyed, hunger is increasing and we do not know who will help us. I hope the government will come to see our situation so they can help us,” says Bahati.
I found a similar story with
Milka Maregesi a mother of nine from Rusoli village. She says her maize farm
over one hectare has also been destroyed by drought. The land is owned by her
husband’s family.
“We farm relying on rain but our crops are often destroyed by drought. Down there, there is another farm near the river but we use that water to manually irrigate the vegetable garden. We ask the government to help us even with irrigation equipment so our crops do not get destroyed,” says Milka.
Buseri Kubwera, chairman of
Rusoli village, speaking to Musoma TV acknowledged these challenges and
explained that the drought has been worsened by uncontrolled tree cutting. He
also noted that women lack decision-making power over land use because the land
is family owned and inherited by men and the absence of formal land titles
makes it difficult for farmers to practice productive agriculture and for women
to access opportunities.
“Regarding loans many
citizens have lost hope. You find they are told to form groups to access loans
but when they follow up they are turned away for not meeting requirements. Even
the loans given by extension officers the people of Rusoli have lost faith in
them.
Another challenge is access
to subsidized seeds. Here no farmer has received these seeds. Farmers
themselves struggle to buy seeds from shops. We ask the government to provide
us with these seeds.
We also ask the government
and banks to consider alternative loan conditions that match the real situation
of rural citizens. They tell us loans are available but the conditions are too
difficult compared to the actual situation of farmers, livestock keepers and
fishers in our village,” Majinge added.
A photo of part of the houses located in one area of Rusoli village.
Laws and Policies on Land Ownership and Agriculture for Women
Land rights, ownership and
management in Tanzania still appear to be dominated by men compared to women.
According to the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), despite the new land
policy offering hope inheritance laws have not been fully reformed enforcement
of rights is weak, and many women are unaware of their legal entitlements.
Fulgence Massawe Acting
Executive Director of LHRC, says gender challenges in land ownership and access
to productive resources remain a major barrier for many women in Tanzania especially
in rural areas.
He notes that oppressive
customs and traditions continue to give men significant authority to inherit
and own land effectively denying women ownership or inheritance rights. In many
communities land is registered in the name of men only causing many widows to
lose their homes and farms after their husbands pass away even if they have
been using the land for many years.
He adds that lack of land
title deeds and ownership documents is another challenge affecting women. Many
fail to obtain official land certificates due to poverty, limited understanding
of legal procedures or exclusion from family decision-making. This situation
deprives women of land security and the opportunity to use land as collateral
for loans or agricultural investment.
Massawe also highlights that
delays in implementing village land use plans continue to increase risks for
women. Statistics show that only about 34 percent of villages in the country
have completed Village Land Use Plans (VLUP), slowing access to Certificates of
Customary Right of Occupancy (CCRO). The absence of these plans leaves women
vulnerable to being denied land without legal protection, especially when land
disputes arise.
“The lack of access to
productive resources also denies women economic opportunities. Many women lack
proper farming tools, inputs, capital, modern technology, training and
extension services. Reports show that a very small percentage of women hold
official land titles, limiting their ability to access loans from financial institutions
and invest in productive activities,” Massawe says.
In terms of policy reforms,
Tanzania has begun making changes that offer hope. The new 2023 National Land
Policy, launched in 2025, removed some long-standing barriers that allowed
customs and traditions to prevent women from inheriting and owning land. The
policy clearly emphasizes gender equality in land access and encourages women’s
participation in land governance systems.
Research findings from the
Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), November 2021 also show that women
make up 43.2 percent of agricultural landowners but only 17.1 percent own land
solely. Access to formal financial services is only 45.8 percent.
Access to Loans for Women
Access to loans from
financial institutions including banks for women engaged in agricultural
activities still appears to be a major challenge. This is said to be influenced
by limited awareness of available opportunities and existing systems within
families shaped by outdated customs and traditions.
Sospeter Justin, branch manager of NMB Bank in Musoma, says that many women actively seek loans for small business entrepreneurship especially in urban areas but lag behind in accessing agricultural and livestock loans due to lack of collateral in the form of land or house titles, income and expenditure records and bank accounts. He acknowledges that these problems often start at the family level where decisions and management of many resources are controlled by men.
A photo of Mr. Sospeter Justin, Manager of NMB Bank Musoma Branch,
speaking with Musoma TV journalist Emmanuel Chibasa in his office in Musoma.
“For clients seeking loans
some of the requirements include having a house title, business license, and
TIN number as well as a bank account. In many families especially in rural
areas, I think women are still not given the opportunity to use land for
farming and livestock activities. That is why men benefit more than women.
However, we provide loans to all groups as long as they meet the requirements,”
says Sospeter.
Challenges of Using
Solar Energy for Women
The use of solar energy
technologies in irrigation, storage, drying and processing of crops has great
potential to increase productivity for smallholder farmers and reduce labor
costs for rural women. However there remains a significant gender gap as these
technologies do not reach women at the same level as men. The main reasons
include lack of funds, customs and traditions and the conditions and
requirements for accessing loans.
Engineer Adrian Edwin a solar energy specialist from Elico Foundation says that many rural women farm on inherited land owned by men which denies them the collateral needed to access loans. He explains that even when solar technologies are available men are the primary beneficiaries while women lack family support due to customs that prevent them from owning land. He notes that despite policies and laws recognizing women’s land ownership rights communities still hold the view that women will marry and leave excluding them from decision-making and investment opportunities in solar energy.
Women in Rusoli still face barriers to solar irrigation, but regional initiatives also show solutions are possible. According to the Ashoka East Africa Newsletter (May 2025 edition), at the April 11 Ashoka Changemakers Roundtable in Nairobi part of the Mott Foundation project “Towards Improving the Livelihood of Smallholder Farmers in East Africa” speakers highlighted models in energy, food, water and waste management. With only 33% of climate innovations led by women inclusive support is urgently needed. Rusoli’s challenges reflect wider East African opportunities for women to lead change.
Studies show that these
challenges are compounded by the high upfront costs of solar technologies and
the lack of friendly loan options. Approximately 90 percent of farmers in
Africa who could benefit from solar-powered water pumps cannot afford them.
This situation also leaves many rural women outside the solar energy revolution
that could transform agriculture and their lives.
According to the Mara
Investment Guide (2020), the region has about 2.5 million hectares of land, of
which 500,000 hectares are suitable for farming. Of this area, 3,634.10 hectares,
equivalent to 7.5 percent, are suitable for irrigation farming from water
sources including Lake Victoria, rivers, and dams, with Musoma District
identified as one of the areas with great potential for irrigation development.
However the reality in Rusoli
village rural Musoma, shows that most farmers still rely on rain despite the
presence of Lake Victoria. Few farmers manage small vegetable gardens by
manually fetching water from the lake or rivers due to poverty which prevents
them from affording irrigation equipment such as solar-powered pumps.
Measures to Reduce
Gender Inequality in Agriculture and Investment
Boniface Ndengo, Vice
President of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture
(TCCIA), says that women face many challenges that limit their participation in
investment and modern agriculture. He explains that these challenges affect not
only agricultural technologies but all investment sectors leaving many women
confined to small businesses while larger opportunities pass them by.
Ndengo notes that an
investment system relying heavily on collateral denies women opportunities as
many do not have assets to pledge. As a result women are forced to rely on small
high-interest loans and are unable to invest in agricultural technologies. He
adds that this situation directly affects families, as lack of economic
opportunities for women perpetuates poverty at the household level.
“TCCIA has made policy and
constitutional improvements to enable special groups, including women, to
access greater business opportunities in technology, capital, and markets. He
emphasized that collaboration between TCCIA, the government, and its members is
crucial for promoting inclusive investment, especially in land and irrigation
agriculture,” Ndengo says.
The Role of Media in
Educating Communities
The media plays a crucial
role in educating communities about gender inequality in land ownership and the
agricultural sector.
Jovina Masano, Chairperson of
the Mara Regional Association of Women Journalists with Vision, says that the
media has a significant responsibility to provide education on customs,
traditions and social attitudes that view women as people who will marry and
leave the ancestral land.
“The media has a deliberate duty to highlight women’s issues through in-depth research especially by reaching rural women with accurate information about their rights, land ownership, loans and agricultural technologies. Through community storytelling and training for women and girls, journalists can contribute to positive change and reduce the gender gap,” says Jovina.
By promoting gender equality in land ownership, access to capital and the use of agricultural technologies women can become key pillars of food security and economic development. However without effective policy implementation, changes in social attitudes and the contribution of the media, the gender gap will continue to deny women opportunities and perpetuate the cycle of rural poverty.
