The European Union (EU) has granted Sh5 billion for women empowerment in Arumeru, Longido and Monduli districts in Arusha Region.
The funds have been channeled through Oikos Tanzania which is implementing a five-year project aimed to benefit 5,000 women in the areas.
Ms Francesca Lucchi, the manager of the Maasai Women Empowerment Project, told a seminar of the stakeholders that there were signs of success on the drive to support the women groups.
“Our assessment team has found that there had been some achievements and challenges too,” she said when addressing representatives of the non-governmental organisations and women groups and local leaders last week.
She added that challenges in reaching out more women due to various barriers such as lack of awareness, remoteness and others were being sorted out accordingly.
Earlier, a community development officer with Oldonyosambu ward, Ms Upendo Lukumay, said women can deliver and contribute enormously for development if they are economically empowered. She cited beekeeping as one of the existing opportunities for women to generate income through selling of honey and allied products like beeswax.
However, she said women in the three districts an by extension Arusha region and the broader Maasailand are facing a problem of land ownership.
This, according to her, has inhibited their plans modernise their agriculture. Ms Lukumay appealed to Oikos to sensitise the community on the rights of women.