Women MPs push for gender-responsive AI policies

DODOMA: WOMEN Members of Parliament have called on the government to fast-track the development and implementation of inclusive and gender-responsive Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies across strategic sectors, positioning women leaders at the centre of AI legislation and governance. The lawmakers urged political institutions including Parliament and Local Government Authorities to formally recognise and empower women …

DODOMA: WOMEN Members of Parliament have called on the government to fast-track the development and implementation of inclusive and gender-responsive Artificial Intelligence (AI) policies across strategic sectors, positioning women leaders at the centre of AI legislation and governance.

The lawmakers urged political institutions including Parliament and Local Government Authorities to formally recognise and empower women leaders in shaping the future of AI frameworks.

They underscored the importance of women’s life experiences, grassroots connections and decision-making roles in ensuring that AI systems are inclusive, ethical, and reflective of community needs.

The call was made during a capacity-building seminar for women leaders on AI technology, held in Dodoma over the weekend.

The training is part of the FemAI Leaders for Africa initiative, a continent-wide programme aimed at strengthening AI governance by empowering women in politics to take the lead in AI development and to address disparities in political representation across Africa.

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Tanzania is the first among five participating countries to host the inaugural FemAI Leaders seminar for Women Parliamentarians, underscoring its leadership role in advancing gender-responsive AI discourse on the continent.

Organised by OMUKA Hub in collaboration with Women Political Leaders (WPL), and funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the seminar was part of ongoing efforts to prepare Tanzania for the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies.

Representing the Speaker of Parliament, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Welfare and Community Development, Ms Fatma Toufiq said AI is becoming increasingly vital in sectors such as education, agriculture, and environmental conservation.

“The Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania is pleased to be part of initiatives aimed at understanding and leveraging AI technology,” she said, noting the current lack of policy or legislation to guide the use and oversight of AI in the country.

“There is no policy or legal framework to define how AI should be operated or supervised. Our goal is to establish mechanisms that protect those most vulnerable to harmful applications,” she added, warning that women are often disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of AI.

OMUKA Hub Founder and Special Seats MP (CCM), Ms Neema Lugangira, emphasised AI’s potential to enhance MPs’ capacity in political, parliamentary, and electoral engagements.

“AI is a powerful tool that can instantly compile comprehensive data. However, to truly benefit from it, we must develop a national AI policy,” she stated.

Iringa Urban MP (CCM), Ms Jesca Msambatavangu, said AI was a rapidly evolving technology that must be embraced.

 “When change comes, the only way is to learn. If Tanzania lags behind while other African nations adopt AI, we risk being left behind like an island and that is unacceptable,” she said.

She also advised caution in online data sharing, noting that AI systems rely on publicly available information and can be misused if safeguards are lacking.

University of Dodoma (UDOM) Lecturer and Lab and Training Coordinator, Mr Jabhera Matogoro, said a context-specific national AI policy is essential.

“The policy must prioritise ethical considerations, outline sectoral priorities, and identify national projects,” he said.

“Tanzania is among a few African countries developing AI policy frameworks in education. However, we still need to assess our readiness compared to other Sub-Saharan nations and set strategic national goals.”

He cited Mauritius, South Africa, and Ghana as examples of countries with established national AI strategies, while Rwanda and Kenya are applying AI in health and digital infrastructure. Senegal and Nigeria are also in the process of crafting their AI policies.

Earlier, the Head of the Digital Transformation Centre Tanzania from GIZ, Ms Julia Schappert, said the organisation’s involvement in the seminar aims to ensure AI serves African societies effectively.

“Our key goal is to strengthen Africa’s leadership in technological innovation,” she noted.

In a joint statement, Women MPs called for collaboration among public and private sectors, development partners, media, and academia through the Female AI Leaders Lab in Tanzania.

They advocated for training, research, and widespread dissemination of the upcoming National AI Guidelines, particularly in education, healthcare, agriculture, finance, climate change, public service delivery, and security.

They also proposed training for journalists on the ethical use of AI in political coverage, as well as the development of short, practical courses tailored to MPs and local leaders under the theme “AI for Governance and Policy.”

The lawmakers further recommended the creation of a national platform to support women leaders in localising the National AI Policy 2025. This would include constituency-level awareness campaigns and the establishment of “AI Community Champions” to drive innovation from the grassroots.

Additionally, the MPs underscored the need for robust regulations, policies and legal frameworks to ensure data privacy and protection for all AI users in the country.