TODAY'S lifestyle has changed the way many women think with regard to education. Like men, they too aspire for knowledge and make efforts to get it by any means to supplement the communal struggle to eliminate poverty.

The saying of 'ukimwelimisha mwanamke umeelimisha jamii' in the country today has stocked the fire in women's ire to get more education for economic independence. In English the saying means: "If you educate a woman, you educate a family."

"I feel proud when at the end of the month I can decide in my family that we have to do this and that," said Ms Prisca Mhanus, a Bachelor of Education at St. Augustine student at the University of Tanzania (SAUT) in Mwanza. Ms Mhanus feels happy and proud when she caters for the family from her own pocket to take some economic weight off her husband's shoulders.

She adds: "The knowledge I get is of greater assistance to me to know various things including my rights." Ms Godliva Stephano, another SAUT student, says that higher education gives her more security for a stable income. "Advancing my education will not only give me independence, but will also raise my salary, leading to a more secure living," she noted. In point of fact, the enrolment trend of female students in higher learning institutions has been increasing every year, ensuring gender equity in expertise and applicable in the country.

According to the Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST), the data shows that in both government and non-governmental (32 higher learning institutions), the percentage of female students has been rising from 31.4 per cent in 2007/2008 which is equivalent to 16,358 to 37.1 per cent (51,860) in 2010/2011, while the total to both gender is 45,501 in 2007/2008 and 139,638 in 2010/2011.

The percentage has shown that despite the initiatives made by the government in giving hope to women to go to school, women themselves are in need of the education. A business woman in Musoma, Ms Celine Mathayo, said that when a woman has gone to school, it's easy to develop herself, become able to be employed and build the future. "I have six children but I have put my strength in building my daughters' future.

All my children are at school, but I want my daughters to be the best model in the society," she said. Ms Dina Salamba, a resident of Pasiansi in Mwanza, also supports her two daughters in their studies, saying that educating women means improving the family's life. "Husbands have been so harsh when it comes to financing the family because they are the only supporting instrument of the family.

But when they find that there is sharing of responsibilities, they feel at ease," she explained. She says that an educated woman will be able to raise and educate the child even without the father. However, Associate Prof Marit Tjomsland of University of Bergen, Tunisia, in her article 'Women in Higher Education: A Concern for Development?' believes that education appears to be less cost-effective to women than investing in men's education.

She added that women's higher education stands as a highly efficient way of shaping more gender-equitable societies and thus as a major vehicle for general development. A sociologist, Dr Jacob Ilikiuyoni, said that the increase of the higher learning women shows the increase of the capacity and good use of the resources to both genders. He adds: "This shows the mass-working of women and men whereby the work is done at a wider range and in together."

He added that when both genders are raised, they come into new opportunities and cooperation with others and use the resources in the society effectively. The growth consequently is accelerated for production. On the other hand, Ms Julita Nawe in the article 'Female participation in Africa Universities:

Effective Strategies for enhancing their participation with reference to the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania', suggests strategies in enhancing women female access to higher education which include gender sensitization. She said that gender sensitization can be made through policy making and affirmative action like promoting girls enrolment and performance.

Others are capacity building programmes, remedial courses to raise current enrolment, which is mostly done by several universities; and creating a friendly and secure environment. Nevertheless, Ms Imane Duwe, a lecturer in Gender course at the SAUT, suggested that the government should have a limit on the affirmative action.

"I know women are able they can do it even without special privileges, it's only culture and other factors which have affected women, and in filling the gap several strategies were put to uplift the one gender, therefore there should be a limit to these initiatives," Ms Duwe stressed. In Africa several factors undermined the life of education and development to women including the culture and the belief that a woman can only be a housewife, less instrument, stereotype and male domination. Today things have changed and women have careers and professions.