Trends and drivers of women’s leadership in dairy cooperatives: Evidence from Tanga Region of Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.145Keywords:
Women leadership, dairy cooperatives, gender norms, patriarchy, cooperative governanceAbstract
Women contribute over 70% of labor in Tanzania’s dairy value chain, yet they remain significantly underrepresented in leadership positions within dairy cooperatives, occupying less than 25% of leadership roles. This imbalance reflects structural barriers such as limited access to productive resources, lower education levels and entrenched socio-cultural norms that prioritize male authority. These constraints undermine cooperative principles of democratic participation and inclusive development. This study analyzed trends and drivers of women’s leadership participation in dairy cooperatives in Tanga City Council and Muheza District from 2014 to 2023. Guided by Intersectionality Theory, this study analyzed trends and drivers of women’s leadership participation in dairy cooperatives in Tanga City Council and Muheza District from 2014 to 2023. A mixed-methods approach combined quantitative data from cooperative records and surveys of 297 members across eight cooperatives with qualitative evidence from 40 key informant interviews and 16 gender-segregated focus group discussions. Findings reveal persistent gender disparities in leadership. Women were mostly represented as board members, while their presence in executive positions declined. Women chairpersons dropped from one in 2014 to none between 2015 and 2022 and no woman has served as treasurer since 2015. Vice chairperson’s roles slightly improved, reaching three by 2023. District-level differences were significant (χ² = 19.67, p = 0.001). Tanga City Council performed better, with women holding all treasurer roles and most vice chairperson positions, while Muheza District showed declining executive participation, with women concentrated in board member roles. Only UWAMLI had a female chairperson, while UWATA led in vice chairperson positions. Barriers were linked to patriarchal norms, religious teachings, limited asset ownership, financial dependence, household workloads, low confidence, limited education and weak institutional support. Cooperatives offering training and mentorship showed stronger female leadership outcomes. The study concludes that a persistent glass ceiling restricts women’s advancement, calling for gender-responsive training, policy reforms and structural transformation to promote equitable participation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Bertha Bertha Manga, Prof Respikius Martin, Dr Judith S Kahamba, Dr Zabron Cuthbert Nziku, Dr Padraig French
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