Case Experience - Why Women Succeed in Local Politics
The Role of the Informal in Influencing Women’s Access to Leadership Positions in Tanzania
Annie Francis
This case study presents the findings of a research into the informal factors in the life history of 11 elected women councilors in Northern Tanzania that contributed to their success in politics.
The study finds that these factors are: a history of community activism and leadership, followed by having a supportive family and exposure to positive role models. The paper also reveals that there is an interaction between the formal party selection process, and those informal factors. These have a major impact at two key moments in the formal process: decision to stand and opinion poll in villages.
