IFC launches $1.14 million Ajira Sawa program to expand women’s jobs in Tanzania 

International Finance Corporation (IFC) has launched a $1.14 million advisory initiative in Tanzania aimed at expanding women’s participation in formal employment and entrepreneurship across key sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, mining, and financial services.

The program, known as Ajira Sawa, is designed to partner with companies in agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, mining, and financial services to strengthen gender-responsive workplace policies and improve access to quality jobs for women.

Driving gender inclusion across Tanzania’s private sector

The initiative will work with 30 large companies, including firms linked to IFC investments and pipeline clients, to help them adopt policies that support women’s recruitment, retention, promotion, and leadership development. It will also expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs by improving access to assets and markets, positioning gender inclusion as a driver of business competitiveness rather than a social objective alone.

Implementation will be aligned with IFC’s sector priorities and the Country Partnership Framework for Tanzania, embedding gender-smart practices through peer learning platforms, firm-level advisory support, research, and communications efforts aimed at strengthening the business case for women in leadership.

Institutional partnerships and rollout

To ensure sustainability beyond its implementation period, Ajira Sawa is being delivered in partnership with the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) and the Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce, which are expected to play a central role in engaging firms across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The project, approved by IFC on Feb. 13, 2025, has an estimated budget of about $1.14 million and is expected to run from March 2025 to December 2027.

Strengthening workplace systems and inclusion

At its core, the program focuses on addressing structural barriers that limit women’s participation in the workforce, including workplace policies, leadership pipelines, and access to markets for women-owned businesses.

It will support companies in improving internal systems such as recruitment practices, grievance mechanisms, and safeguards against workplace discrimination and harassment, while promoting broader alignment with international labor standards. IFC noted that the advisory nature of the project means it does not finance company operations directly, but instead supports firms through diagnostics, capacity building, and peer learning platforms.

Tracking impact across firms

Early-stage indicators show that implementation metrics are still at zero, reflecting the project’s recent approval and rollout phase. These include the number of firms adopting recommended changes and those receiving in-depth advisory services.

The program forms part of IFC’s broader Tanzania Country Gender Program, which seeks to close gaps in women’s access to jobs, finance, and markets while strengthening private-sector-led inclusion strategies.

Building a long-term inclusion pipeline

Ajira Sawa falls under IFC’s Anaweza, or “She Can” project, launched in Tanzania in 2023 to enhance women’s employment and access to corporate leadership, increase access to financial and non-financial services for women, and boost access of women-led businesses to productive assets and markets in key sectors.

By working through employer associations and private-sector networks, the Ajira Sawa initiative is expected to create a lasting framework for gender-inclusive employment practices in Tanzania’s corporate ecosystem. IFC says the program is designed to outlive its initial funding period by embedding capacity within local institutions that can continue supporting firms beyond the project lifecycle.