Bibi Titi Mohammed - Infinite Women

Born: 1926, Tanzania
Died: 5 November 2000
Country most active: Tanzania
Also known as: NA

Tanzanian politician and activist Bibi Titi Mohammed emerged as a major political figure and activist in the struggle for independence in the 1950s and ‘60s. She led Umoja wa Wanawake wa Tanzania (United Women of Tanzania or UWT), the women’s branch of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), and held various ministerial roles.
Growing up Muslim in the Matumbi tribe, her father kept her secluded and prevented her from attending school, meaning she had only a minimal primary education. She was married at 14, but divorced her husband after giving birth to a daughter. She would marry twice more, to men of her own choice.
As a political activist, Mohammed became chairperson of the UWT in 1955, and is credited with bringing more than 5,000 women into TANU within three months and uniting women across Tanzania against British colonial rule. As noted by the African Feminist Forum, “women formed the bulwark of initial recruits to TANU because men were hesitant about openly identifying themselves with the party for fear of losing public-sector jobs. This was less of an issue for women, who tended to be self-employed within the informal economy. Women activists were able to use their multiple social and economic networks to raise significant funds for TANU.” Specifically, the UWT worked “to mobilize women to join TANU; to spread party ideology in both rural and urban areas; to protect the party and its leaders against enemies; to mobilize financial resources for the party; and to nurture women members by empowering them economically, socially and politically.”
Mohammed, having been a member of a ngoma (a women’s song and dance group), recognized the power of ngomas to bring people together, including across ethnic lines – an important factor when trying to unite the country’s more than 120 ethnic groups into a single cause. She was able to convince ngoma leaders to create space for her to address their members – and many of the women listened.
After the country achieved independence in 1961, Mohammed co-founded the All African Women’s Conference, was elected to Parliament and appointed minister for women and social affairs, and contributed to writing the Tanzanian constitution in 1964. However, she soon lost her Parliament seat in 1965, and subsequently resigned from TANU’s Central Committee in 1967 in protest over a provision in the Arusha Declaration that would have prevented committee members from renting out real estate that they owned. Due to the widespread lack of education among women in the country, this was one of few options for them to maintain a stable income.
Matters worsened in 1969 when she was arrested in 1969, accused of conspiring to overthrow the government in what would become the country’s first treason trial. She maintained her innocence throughout, but was sentenced to life imprisonment, which was commuted by the president after two years. She retreated from public life, although she lived for almost 30 more years. Her legacy has since been reclaimed, and a major road in Dar es Salaam is now named in her honor.