Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — HE Graça Machel, veteran human rights and gender equality advocate and Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, officially welcomed Mrs Sauda Kassim Msemo as the member of the Graça Machel Trust's Expert Leaders Group at a meeting held in Dar es Salaam on the evening of July 24th 2023.
Mrs Sauda Kassim Msemo was appointed as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania by HE President Suluhu Samia at the beginning of June this year. She takes the baton from Dr Natu Mwamba, the first woman in the history of Tanzania to hold the position, who has been appointed as Secretary and Paymaster General at the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Msemo, will bring her expertise and knowledge to the Graça Machel Trust's Expert Leaders Group (ELG), as her predecessor Mwamba did.
When asked why the Graça Machel Trust was started and what role it and its subgroupings like the ELG play, Graça Machel had this to say: "I realised that as a continent we had made progress including women in leadership, having a strong voice in some positions, such as in politics. But I realised we had made very little progress in the economic space. There were lots of initiatives but they fragmented and not always being strategic enough to transform economies. There was no structure or platform for women to come together and have the legitimacy to say 'These are the realities lived by women and these are the aspirations of women themselves' and have this expressed in a way they could shake and eventually transform systems, structures and institutions. This is why the Trust and the different elements of it were started."
In 2021, the Graça Machel Trust convened the ELG under the leadership of Graça Machel, consisting of current and retired female Deputy Governors of Central Banks, financial regulators, and senior financial sector leaders to elevate the voices of African women. It represents the five African regions and collaborates with the Trusts' Women's sector-based Networks to build stronger political will and investment in a COVID-19 recovery agenda that is gendered and promotes accountability for action. Working with the highly experienced, passionate and influential women in finance the ELG is a high-level expert group of strong African women leaders who are driving systemic actions to advance women's active participation in the financial and digital economy. This will help build inclusive economies and institutions that respond to the needs of women.
"So, we are encouraged and grateful that Tanzania sees the important role women play in the economy, and that it was possible to work with Dr. Natu Mwamba and now continue with Mrs Sauda Kassim Msemo. We are also delighted that Tanzania will be launching a financial inclusion policy, something that we as the Trust support, to ensure that no African women are left behind." Said Graça Machel.
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The goal of the ELG is to influence transformative policy actions that promote opportunities to advance the growth of women's businesses as a pillar of economic recovery and reconstruction from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
The agenda of the ELG is to push for bold actions to advance:
- Women's financial inclusion;
- Leveraging the digital economy to promote women's entrepreneurship;
- Unlocking of resources for increased investment in women's businesses for growth.
"Women have long been the backbone of African economies and it would be a huge mistake to exclude them or leave them behind as the financial sector and other sectors evolve into the 4th Industrial Revolution. This is why as the Graça Machel Trust we work with women at different levels, from the entrepreneurs on the ground to Deputy Governors and Governors to ensure that women's contribution is seen, heard and very importantly, included in the advancement of African countries" said Shiphra Chisha, the Head of Programmes at the Trust, who is instrumental in ensuring the that the Trust's women economic empowerment and inclusion.
