DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA National Parks (TANAPA) has increased women’s representation in senior leadership positions to 37 percent, up from 22.6 percent five years ago and above the global average of less than 28 percent for women in top decision-making roles.
The achievement marks a significant step in advancing gender equality within Tanzania’s conservation and tourism industry, a sector that has traditionally been dominated by men.
The state conservation agency, which manages Tanzania’s 21 national parks, said the increase reflects deliberate efforts to expand women’s participation in leadership and decision-making across the organisation.
“Female representation in leadership positions has increased from 22.6 percent in 2020/21 to 37 percent in 2025/26,” TANAPA Commissioner of Conservation, CPA (T) Musa Nassoro Kuji, said.
According to TANAPA, women currently occupy 23 of the agency’s 62 commissioner-level leadership positions.
Women serving in senior management include Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Moreen Mwaimale (Finance), Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Cecilia Mtanga (Human Resources), Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Catherine Mbena (Corporate Communication), Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Jully Lyimo (Business Development), Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Catherine Mwamasage (Procurement), and Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Sekela Mwangota (Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation).
Women also hold key operational leadership positions within the agency.
Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Dr Beatrice Kessy heads TANAPA’s Northern Zone, one of the agency’s four administrative zones.
TANAPA’s liaison offices are led by Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Neema Mollel in Dar es Salaam, Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Dr Halima Kiwango in Zanzibar, and Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Noelia Myonga in Dodoma.
At the park level, women lead eight of Tanzania’s 21 national parks.
Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Angela Nyaki heads Kilimanjaro National Park, while Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Dr Tutindaga George leads Tarangire National Park.
Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Dr Yustina Kiwango heads Lake Manyara National Park, and Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Eva Mallya leads Mkomazi National Park.
Other female park heads include Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Witness Shoo at Arusha National Park, Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Gladys Ng’umbi at Saadani National Park, Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Theodora Batiho at Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Principal Conservation Officer Upendo Massawe at Saanane Island National Park.
The increase comes as governments and organisations worldwide continue to promote gender equality and greater representation of women in leadership positions.
Data from UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union show that women hold less than 28 percent of senior decision-making positions globally, highlighting the significance of TANAPA’s achievement.
TANAPA said the growth in women’s representation has coincided with improved organisational performance.
According to Kuji, the agency’s operational efficiency increased from 65 percent in the 2020/21 financial year to 87 percent in 2025/26.
He attributed the improvement to inclusive leadership, stronger accountability systems, closer performance monitoring and broader consideration of social issues in management and decision-making.
The progress aligns with Tanzania’s efforts to advance gender equality and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which call for greater participation of women in leadership and public life.
Research by organisations including the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, UN Women and McKinsey & Company has linked greater female representation in leadership to stronger governance, improved accountability and enhanced organisational performance.
For Tanzania’s conservation industry, TANAPA’s figures mark a notable shift in a field traditionally dominated by men, with women now holding more than one-third of the agency’s senior decision-making positions.
The achievement positions TANAPA among the country’s leading public institutions in advancing gender equality while strengthening conservation management and tourism development.