Women take up men’s work, cutting sisal as times change

Korogwe. Zawadi Sagumbo had a tough time to decide whether to accept the job or not.

She had no reliable employment, but she couldn’t fathom how she could work in male-dominated field.

The 39-year-old had received news of an opportunity to work as a sisal cutter in farms in Ngombezi Estate in Korogwe District.

She has been doing odd jobs in Dar es Salaam for a number of years. “Although this is my place of birth, I never imagined to work as a sisal leaf cutter. I lived to see men only cutting sisal leaves,” she recalls.

However, the changing face of ownership of sisal farms from plantation to smallholder ownership spearheaded by a Tanga-based sisal company, Katani Limited, simplified her decision.

She led a group of like-minded to land a job at a farm belonging to Moses Chawalla, the secretary of Ngombezi Sisal Farmers Association.

“Earning a living is a struggle. Women should not choose the kind of work; they should do it as long it gives them a legal income,” Zawadi says.

At Magoma Sisal Estate, in the same district, 54-year-old Zaina Ali is completing the circle. She had always wanted to work in the machines that produce fibres from sisal leaves.

She is now, not only a sisal farmer, but also works alongside men feeding green sisal leaves to the processing machine. “At first they regarded me as an eccentric, a strange woman who wanted to do men’s work. Everything is fine now. We live and work in a kind ‘camaraderie’ spirit. Sometimes they forget there is a woman among them,” Zaina says.

Since sisal was introduced in what is now Tanzania, in 1893, by German agronomist Richard Hindorf many of people working in sisal farms have been men. The privatisation of the 1990s and the labour market are changing the picture.

The myth that activities such as sisal harvesting and working in the sisal processing plant are a man’s job is being debunked.

According to Katani Limited CEO Salum Shamte, the company is now making a difference and ushering in a revolution that is doing away with the myth that occupation in the sisal industry is the preserve of men.

“We want to remove the traditional prejudices that certain kinds of work are for men or women,” said Mr Shamte.

To improve working conditions in sisal farming and attract more women, Shamte said the company was now in the process of introducing semi-mechanisation which he said would expand employment in sisal cutting for women.

“The sisal cutter’s job would be confined to cutting the leaves but packing and collection would be done by machines something which would increase productivity and attract more women.”

He also revealed that automatic brushing machines would be introduced to ease work.

Currently, 35 per cent of sisal farmers are women.

That could be a turning point for young women who are forced to go for some activities that degrade their humanity.