Bibi Titi Mohammed

As she was growing up in the Matumbi tribe her father refused to send her to school because he feared she would lose her Muslim faith and after her father died her mother decided to send her to school because she saw the importance of an education for a young woman.[1] Bibi Titi's mother's influence helped Bibi fight for women's rights and helped her in her fight for independence.

At age fourteen she married an older man and she divorced her first husband after bearing her first child, a daughter named Halima. Because of Bibi Titi's ideals and her fight her daughter was not allowed to marry until she completed school. She married and divorced two more men.[3]

Bibi Titi Mohammad began her political career as the lead singer in a ngoma (a dance and music group) where she celebrated the birth of the prophet Mohammed during Maulidi. In the 1950s after World War II she started to get involved with the Nationalist movement in Tanzania and on July 7, 1954 TANU was started by Julius Nyerere. She became a close friend of the first Julius Nyerere after being introduced to him in 1954, by the driver of a family cab.[4]

In 1955, Mohammed became the chair of the Umoja wa Wanawake wa Tanzania (UWT), which was the women's branch of TANU. Within three months of her coming into the position she was able to enroll more than 5000 women into TANU and helped play a major roll in Tanzania's fight for independence against British Colonial rule. Mohammed was able to bring the UWT's ideas to the masses and also unified women against colonialism by giving them one voice.[3]

Tanzania became an independent country in 1961 and her leadership also helped with the influence or writing the constitution in 1964 and she guaranteed a place for women in the Tanzanian government. Bibi was also known for her creation of the All African Women Conference and was the junior minister under the President Nyerere.

In 1965 Bibi Titi lost her parliamentary seat which began her loss of power. By 1967 she has resigned her position in the party's central committee. She was protesting a provision in the Arusha Declaration. Which is Nyerere's plan for African socialism, the plan banned all central committee members from renting properties. Because of most women's lack of education the right to rent properties was one of the few things that will help them earn a stable income.[3]

Bibi Titi Mohammed was a key player within the creation of TANU (Tanganyika African National Union), which was a major political party within Tanzania. Mohammed’s involvement began when she met Julius Nyerere, who would eventually become the first president. Mohammed was able to hold a position of leadership with TANU, mostly due to Nyerere’s belief of equality. Giving women visibility was a major priority of Nyerere’s policy, giving Mohammed the platform she needed. Bibi Titi Mohammed was the leader of the women’s wing of TANU, called Umoja wa Wanawake wa Tanzania (UWT). This organization was key in the selling and distributing the beliefs and ideals of TANU. UWT also was a great tool in united women throughout Tanzania. UWT was major source of empowerment for women all across Tanzania. This is an incredible achievement especially since history always undermines women, Mohammed and her organization help women throughout Tanzania, in doing this Tanzanian’s were able to take back their country and make it theirs again.

In October 1969, Bibi Titi, and the former Labour Minister Michael Kamaliza were arrested, along with four army officers, being charged with plotting to overthrow the government.[5] Seen as in instigator of protests she was put on trial for plotting to take over Tanzanian government. Tanzania's first treason trial was held, and after the 127-day trial, Mohammed was sentenced to life imprisonment; she was put on house arrest. During the trial, her political associates disowned her, and most of her friends deserted her. While in prison her husband ashamed of her divorced her and left her alone to try to prove her innocence. After two years into her life sentence Nyerere commuted her sentence and she was released from prison.

After Bibi Titi was released from prison she disappeared from the public life and lived the rest of her life in Johannesburg, South Africa.[6] [7] [8]

In 1991, when Tanzania was celebrating 30 years of independence, Bibi Titi appeared in the ruling party's paper as "A Heroine of Uhuru(Freedom) Struggle". On November 5, 2000 Mohammed died at Net Care Hospital in Johannesburg where she was being treated.[9]