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Dr. Hadija K. Mwendah is a dedicated academician, researcher, and trainer based in Tanzania. She has been involved in various research and training activities that focus on political participation, particularly of women, and elections. Her expertise in these areas has led her to be a member of several advisory boards, committees, and organizations that aim to promote women's political participation in Africa. She is currently serving as an Advisor Board Member of the Project ‘Women at Work; for a Comparative history of African Female Urban Professions (Sudan, Tanzania and Ghana), 1919-1970’ funded by a grant of the European Research Commission. In addition, she is also serving as the Gender Focal Point for the College of Social Science at the University of Dar es Salaam. She has been holding this position since 2015 and is currently serving her third consecutive triennium. Furthermore, she has also been serving as a PSPA Representative and Member, University of Dar es Salaam Workers Council for the 2020-2023 Triennium.

Dr. Mwendah also served as a Panel Chair on various workshops, dialogues and sessions. For instance, she served as the Panel Chair on the dialogue ‘Leadership Transition and the Dynamics of Political Continuity and Changes in Times of Crisis: National Trauma and Presidential Succession’ during the Mwalimu Nyerere Intellectual Festival organized by the Mwalimu Nyerere Chair on Pan Africanism and Uongozi Institute. She was also the Panel Chair on a session on “’Zanzibar Elections and the May 2021 By-Elections in Kigoma” and ‘Election Day Proceedings, Election Results, Overall Assessment, and Recommendations’ during REDET’s Post Election Dissemination Workshop. Moreover, she has also served as a reviewer for the primary and secondary schools’ book manuscripts on Civic and Moral Education- Commissioned by the Tanzania Institute of Education.

Dr. Mwendah’s research activities have focused on election observation and the intersection of gender and politics, specifically women's political participation, political leadership, and women's history.She has served as an election observer for several missions and conducted research on various aspects of voter turnout and HIV prevention policies' implementation. She was the Regional Election Coordinator for the Ruvuma Region during the 2020 General Elections in Tanzania. She was also the REDET Election Observer for Kigoma region by-elections in May 2021 and Songea Mjini Constituency for the 2020 General Election Mission from September to November 2020. Moreover, she has conducted several research studies related to elections, including being the Principal Researcher on the study "Do Institutions Matter? Examination of Institutions for Implementing Policies for HIV Prevention in Tanzania," which was funded by Responding to HIV/AIDS in Africa: Connecting Public Administration, Policy and Communities Project under the sponsorship of Irish AID. As a Training Lead, Dr. Mwendah has led several training programs related to women's political leadership. She was a trainer on "Women's and Political Leadership" for female members of the House of Representatives in Zanzibar and female members of Parliament in Dodoma, both funded by UN Women during the 2020 General Elections in Tanzania. She has also served as an instructor for several political science undergraduate courses.

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