Female students in higher learning institutions to be encouraged

Higher learning institutions in Tanzania have been urged to take the initiative of encouraging female students to boost their career opportunities. This was said on Monday this week in Dar es Salaam by the Deputy Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Engineer Stella Manyanya during an award presentation event at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) where she was the guest of honour. She said that with Tanzania striving to become an industrialised country, deliberate efforts should be put in place by higher learning institutions in the country to encourage more female students studying science and technology. “Countries which invest in science and technology have witnessed drastic strides towards development, and therefore Tanzania should not be left behind in the course, and female students can play a pivotal role towards this,” she said. Alumni of DIT herself, Eng Manyanya said that Tanzania has made great efforts in making sure they achieve a 50/50 ratio in various areas, saying that this can be achieved if more effort is put in encouraging women in their development endeavours. She urged the graduating students to spend more time looking for ways of advancing the country’s industrial drive, saying that every year farmers watch as their fruits rot away because there is no fruit processing plants in most parts of the country, telling them to take advantage of the situation. The DIT Principal, Professor Preksedis Ndomba said that the institution is positioned to respond to the call by President John Magufuli to spearhead realisation of industrial economy by 2025, as spelt out in his inaugural speech to the Parliament of Tanzania on 20th November, 2015. He said that DIT understands that such a mission could only be realised if local technical training institutions will significantly increase students’ enrollment and improve teaching

methodology.