Giving Compass' Take:

• News Deeply reports on the unofficial street traders of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, who can now make their businesses official for the first time through a government program, after enduring years of harassment and abuse by militias.

• What can organizations do to support more female entrepreneurs both here and in other developing nations? Gender equity depends on giving women more economic freedom.

• Here's how we can get more women into leadership roles in Tanzania.

On a typically hot and humid morning at Tandika market in Tanzania’s biggest city, Asha Shabani is busy packing dry sardines into plastic bags and placing them on a wooden stall for her customers.

The 27-year-old trader, who sells various items including tomatoes, grains, onions and vegetables, tracks and balances her stock before the start of each business day. She tallies additions and deductions and jots the figures down on a handwritten ledger.

“I was not keeping my records before,” Shabani said of her previous approach to running her business. “I have now realized that every single cent has to be accounted for.”

Not long ago, Shabani did not have formal premises on which to carry out her business. She simply lay down torn sheets and placed her merchandise on street pavements. She was frequently harassed by city militias, who sometimes seized her produce.

But when her stall was officially registered in November last year as part of a government policy to recognize informal businesses, her life became much easier. As a licensed trader, Shabani now has a dedicated space in the market, a taxpayer’s identification number and, most importantly, a government identity card.

“I am happy because nobody is bothering me for a permit any more,” she said.

In February this year, Shabani was able to secure a 1.5 million shilling ($660) loan from Tanzania Women’s Bank (TWB) without presenting collateral often required for loan security.

Read the full article about Tanzania's women traders by Kizito Makoye at News Deeply.