Girls demand a place in Tanzania’s digital economy by 2050

Girls in Tanzania are demanding equal access to devices, internet connectivity and digital skills as the country prepares for an economy expected to rely increasingly on technology, science and innovation by 2050.

The call came on September 7 at the launch of the 2026 Girl Agenda, ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11. Six organizations advocating for girls’ rights coordinate the forum, which seeks to increase girls’ participation in discussions and decisions affecting their lives and to turn their views into concrete action.

The forum cited about 20.2 million internet users in Tanzania, equivalent to 29.1% of the population. The number has risen from 11.4 million in 2014 to 21.8 million in 2024, but a gap in digital skills and opportunities between women and men remains.

Jenifa Tuji, a Form Three student at Makongo Juu Secondary School, said girls must prepare early for the country’s rapidly expanding technology use. “In the coming years, the use of technology in Tanzania is expected to continue growing rapidly and become an important part of education, employment, business, health services and economic participation,” she said.

Jenifa argued that digital education should be treated as a strategic investment, enabling girls to use, create and lead technology rather than remain only consumers. Experience Kobelo, a pupil at Msasani Primary School, said early pregnancy and marriage, poverty, violence, lack of digital opportunities and harmful social norms affect girls’ education, safety, confidence, decision-making and economic independence.

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In the coming years, the use of technology in Tanzania is expected to continue growing rapidly and become an important part of education, employment, business, health services and economic participation.