1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES/AGREEMENTS ON GENDER
EQUALITY
National Strategies/Agreements On Gender Equality
Establishment of Ministry dealing with Gender Development
The Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children (MCDGC), formerly known as
Ministry of Community Development, Women Affairs and Children (MCDWAC), was
established in November, 1990 with the responsibility to facilitate community development in
Tanzania. Before its establishment the Ministry was a department within the Ministry of Local
Government, Community Development, Cooperatives and Marketing.
The MCDWAC was mandated to contribute at the the development of communities, women and
children by setting up four core functional departments, namely Women and Children, Training
and Audio Visual, Technical and Self help and HESAWA.
However, a systematic review of roles, functions and operational structure of the Ministry of
Community Development, Women Affairs and Children (MCDWAC) was carried out in 1997
during the Organization and Efficiency (O&E) Review done among all Ministries and
Independent Departments under the Government’s Civil Service Reform Programme.
Following that review, the Ministry’s organizational structure was changed into two core
functional divisions of Community Development and Women and Children. However, it was
soon realized that children development related matters were not being given the prominence
they deserved, hence the addition of a new division specific for children development was
established in 2002. In the same year the Ministry changed its name into Community
Development, Gender and Children.
In 2005, Tanzania changed its Government leadership and hence its structure. Among other
changes, was also transferred the mandate of coordinating and monitoring NGOs’ activities from
Vice President’s Office to the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children.
The Mandate
Mandates of the Ministry according to Government Notice No.494 published on 17th December
2010 are:
i. Community Development, Women, Child, Family, Gender Policies and their Implementation
ii. NGOs Coordination
iii. Folk Development Colleges
iv. Respond to International Organizations, such as UNICEF, UNIFEM
v. Performance Improvement and Development of Human Resources under this ministry
vi. Coordinate extra Ministerial Departments, Parastatal Organizations, Agencies, Programmes
and Projects implemented under the ministry.
The Roles
i. Community Development
2. ii. Women and Gender Development
iii. Children Development
iv. NGO’s Registration, Coordination and Monitoring
v. Policy Development and Planning
vi. Administration and Human Resource Management
vii. Community Information, Education and Communication
viii. Family Development
The Major Functions:
i. Develop, coordinate, monitor and evaluate implementation of the Community Development
Policies and programs
ii. Coordinate, prepare and issue guidelines and operating procedures for Community
Development Institutes (CDTIs) and Folk Development Colleges (FDCs)
iii. Develop guidelines for professional advancement of Field Units technicians, and Coordinate
Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
iv. Prepare programs’ implementation, coordinate, follow-up and evaluate implementation of
Women and Gender Development Policy.
v. Collect, process and store gender related data and statistics for utilization and dissemination.
vi. Oversee coordination and monitoring of community based HIV/AIDS interventions paying
attention to gender issues.
vii. Formulate and oversee implementation of Children and Family development policies.
viii. Registration, Coordination and Monitoring of NGOs
ix. Advocate, publicize, disseminate, broadcast and document ministry’s policies, strategies,
programs, plans, regulations and functions to create public awareness.
Policy on Women and Gender Development
The National Strategy for Gender Development
To ensure effective implementation of the Women and Gender Development Policy, a National
Strategy for Gender Development (NSGD) to promote gender equality and equity has been
prepared. This strategy covers key areas of gender concerns stipulated in the Women and Gender
Development Policy.
The NSGD highlights the major issues of concern to gender equality, challenges and provides
guidance on the interventions and identifies the roles of various actors and the coordination
mechanisms to facilitate the participation and linkages of the various actors. The NSGD Matrix
presents the logical framework and includes objectives strategies, activities, performance
indicators, actors and timeframe. The activities identified in the matrix are not exhaustive. Actors
are responsible for identifying specific detailed sectoral activities that will be taken up during the
implementation of the NSGD also in line with the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of
Poverty.
The rationale for the NSGD is to guide further implementation of the Women and Gender
Development Policy, Conventions, Laws and Programmes. Within the context of the National
3. Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (MKUKUTA). Specifically the NSGD is designed
to guide stakeholders to: -
•Speed up progress implementation of Women and Gender Development Policy;
• Speed up implementation of national, regional and international commitments on gender
equality and empowerment of women;
• Integrate gender issues into macro and sectoral policies ;
• Link up with collaborating partners and civil organizations;
•Enhance coordination, accountability, monitoring, evaluation and research.
The aim of the NSGD is to consolidate and speed up implementation of the Women and Gender
Development Policy, which strives to redress gender gaps and inequalities between men and
women. It also aims to guide implementers to incorporate gender concerns into their policies,
plans, strategies and programmes with a view to implementing commitments at international,
regional and national levels.
The goal of the National Strategy for Gender Development is to achieve gender equality and
equity in Tanzania as stipulated in the national Constitution and the Women and Gender
Development Policy.
The Objective of NSGD is to guide and involve all stakeholders to bring about gender equality in
a more harmonized manner for enhanced development.
Areas of Gender Concern
The major areas of gender policy concerns in the NSGD are:
1. Institutional Framework.
2. Decision-Making and Power.
3. Legal and Human Rights.
4. Education.
5. Training.
6. Economic Empowerment.
7. Employment.
8. General and Reproductive Health.
9. HIV/AIDS.
10. Food Security and Nutrition.
11. Division of Labour.
4. 12. Information, Education and Communication.
13. Appropriate Technology.
14. Environmental Protection and Conservation.
15. Access and Ownership of Resources.
16. Gender Mainstreaming.
17 Gender/Sex Disaggregated Data.
18. Social Security.
19 Community Participation.
20. Customs and Traditions.
International Strategies/Agreements On Gender Equality
World Conferences On Women
The United Nations has organized four world conferences on women. These took place in
Mexico City in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995. The last was
followed by a series of five-year reviews
1975: The Commission on the Status of Women called for the organization of the first world
conference on women to coincide with International Women’s Year. The World Conference of
the International Women's Year was subsequently held in Mexico City; 133 governments
participated, while 6,000 NGO representatives attended a parallel forum, the International
Women’s Year Tribune. The conference defined a World Plan of Action for the Implementation
of the Objectives of the International Women’s Year, which offered a comprehensive set of
guidelines for the advancement of women through 1985. -
Key Outcomes:
At this meeting, the process was launched and three objectives were identified in relation to
equality, peace and development for the Decade:
• Full gender equality and the elimination of gender discrimination;
• The integration and full participation of women in development;
• An increased contribution by women towards strengthening world peace.
The Conference urged Governments to formulate national strategies, targets and priorities. It led
to the establishment of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women (INSTRAW) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which
serve as an institutional framework for research, training and operational activities in the area of
women and development. At this Conference, held in Mexico City, women played a highly
visible role. Of the 133 delegations from Member States, 113 were headed by women. Women
also organized the International Women's Year Tribune, which attracted some 4,000 participants,
5. and a parallel forum of non-governmental organizations that signalled the opening up of the
United Nations to non-governmental organizations, which enable women's voices to be heard in
the organization's policy-making process
1980: 145 Member States gathered for the mid-decade World Conference of the United Nations
Decade for Women in Copenhagen. It aimed to review progress in implementing the goals of the
first world conference, focusing on employment, health and education. A Programme of Action
called for stronger national measures to ensure women’s ownership and control of property, as
well as improvements in protecting women’s rights to inheritance, child custody and nationality.
Key Outcomes:
This Conference recognized that there was a disparity between women's guaranteed rights and
their capacity to exercise them. Participants identified three spheres in which measures for
equality, development and peace were needed: Equal access to education; Equal access to
employment opportunities; Equal access to adequate health care services.
1985: The World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the UN Decade for
Women took place in Nairobi. The conference’s mandate was to establish concrete measures to
overcome obstacles to achieving the Decade’s goals. Participants included 1,900 delegates from
157 Member States; a parallel NGO Forum attracted around 12,000 participants. Governments
adopted the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, which outlined
measures for achieving gender equality at the national level and for promoting women’s
participation in peace and development efforts.
Key Outcomes:
The data presented by the United Nations to the delegations of Member States revealed that the
improvements observed had benefited only a limited number of women. Thus, the Nairobi
Conference was mandated to seek new ways of overcoming obstacles for achieving the objectives
of the Decade: equality, development and peace. Three basic categories were established to
measure the progress achieved: constitutional and legal measures; equality in social participation;
equality in political participation and decision-making. The Nairobi Conference recognized that
gender equality was not an isolated issue, but encompassed all areas of human activity. It was
necessary for women to participate in all spheres, not only in those relating to gender.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),
adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights
for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination
against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
The Convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or
restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the
6. recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of
equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end
discrimination against women in all forms, including:
to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish
all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against
women;
to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of
women against discrimination; and
to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons,
organizations or enterprises.
The Convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through
ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life -- including
the right to vote and to stand for election -- as well as education, health and employment. States
parties agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special
measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Convention is the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women
and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations. It
affirms women's rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their
children. States parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in
women and exploitation of women.
Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions
into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on
measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.
Importantly, 185 nations have ratified this treaty as of March 1, 2007. Eight countries in the
world have not signed on: United States, Sudan, Somalia, Qatar, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
U.S. failure to ratify the Treaty undermines the powerful principle that human rights of women
are universal across all cultures, nations, and religions, and worthy of being guaranteed through
international human rights standards.
The Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women
July, 1985 A world conference of women in the real sense of the definition, a gathering of
women from all over the world without equal in the past. Nairobi University Campus (Kenya)
The critical review and appraisal of progress achieved and obstacles encountered in attaining the
goals and objectives of the UN Decade for Women.
7. The adoption of the Forward-Looking Strategies of implementation for the advancement of
women for the period up to the year 2000.
Largest and most influential conference of its kind at the time.
Opened the doors for future conferences to take place.
Created an atmosphere of support and encouragement in which women were able to share and
learn from each other
Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women designed for the period between
1985 and 2000. Focus on
Equality
Development
Peace
Equality is both a goal and a means whereby individuals are accorded equal treatment under the
law and equal opportunities to enjoy their rights and to develop their potential talents and skills
so that they can participate in national political, economic, social and cultural development and
can benefit from its results. For women in particular, equality means the realization of rights that
have been denied as a result of cultural, institutional, behaviourial and attitudinal discrimination.
Equality is important for development and peace because national and global inequities
perpetuate themselves and increase tensions of all types.
The role of women in development is directly related to the goal of comprehensive social and
economic development and is fundamental to the development of all societies. Development
means total development, including development in the political, economic, social, cultural and
other dimensions of human life, as well as the development of the economic and other material
resources and the physical, moral, intellectual and cultural growth of human beings. It should be
conducive to providing women, particularly those who are poor or destitute, with the necessary
means for increasingly claiming, achieving, enjoying and utilizing equality of opportunity. More
directly, the increasingly successful participation of each woman in societal activities as a legally
independent agent will contribute to further recognition in practice of her right to equality.
Development also requires a moral dimension to ensure that it is just and responsive to the needs
and rights of the individual and that science and technology are applied within a social and
economic framework that ensures environmental safety for all life forms on our planet.
The full and effective promotion of women's rights can best occur in conditions of international
peace and security where relations among States are based on the respect for the legitimate rights
of all nations, great and small, and peoples to self-determination, independence, sovereignty,
territorial integrity and the right to live in peace within their national borders.
Peace depends on the prevention of the use or threat of the use of force, aggression, military
occupation, interference in the internal affairs of others, the elimination of domination,
discrimination, oppression and exploitation, as well as of gross and mass violation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms.
8. Peace includes not only the absence of war, violence and hostilities at the national and
international levels but also the enjoyment of economic and social justice, equality and the entire
range of human rights and fundamental freedoms within society. It depends upon respect for the
Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as
international covenants and the other relevant international instruments on human rights, upon
mutual co-operation and understanding among all States irrespective of their social political and
economic systems and upon the effective implementation by States of the fundamental human
rights standards to which their citizens are entitled.
Demands
Abolish Illiteracy
Female life expectancy should be 65 years old globally
Women should have the opportunity to be self-sufficient
Laws of equality to ensure a truly equitable socio-economic framework
Launch a public campaign to abolish discrimination
Governments should have national women’s policies to abolish all obstacles women face
UN should hold at least 1 WWC between 1985 and 2000
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by the Fourth World Conference
on Women in 1995. The Platform for Action reaffirms the fundamental principal that the rights of
women and girls are an "inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights." The
Platform for Action also calls upon governments to take action to address several critical areas of
concern, among them violence against women. The Platform for Action states, "Violence against
women is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace.
Violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their
human rights and fundamental freedoms. The long-standing failure to protect and promote those
rights and freedoms in the case of violence against women is a matter of concern to all States and
should be addressed. . . . In all societies, to a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are
subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income, class and
culture. The low social and economic status of women can be both a cause and a consequence of
violence against women."
Areas of concern
The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women
Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to education and training
Violence against women
Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to health care and related services
9. The effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women, including those living under
foreign occupation
Inequality in economic structures and policies, in all forms of productive activities and in
access to resources
Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all
levels
Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the advancement of women
Lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and protection of the human rights of
women
Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl child
The definition of violence, contained in the Platform for Action, is broad, including "any act of
gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological
harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of
liberty, whether occurring in public or private life."
The Beijing Platform for Action also requires all governments to develop strategies or national
plans of action to implement the Platform locally. The National Plans of Action for each country
outline specific activities that the national governments will undertake to improve the situation of
women, including addressing violence against women.
In June 2000, the General Assembly adopted a political declaration reaffirming Member States’
commitment to the objectives set forth in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Member States also agreed to “assess regularly further implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action with a view to bringing together all parties involved in 2005 to assess progress and
consider new initiatives, as appropriate, ten years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for
Action and twenty years after the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women;” (para. 9). The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was
mandated, in its 2002-2006 program of work, to undertake a review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The CSW’s agenda for its
49th session (2005) was twofold:
“Item 1 Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome
documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender
equality, development and peace for the twenty -first century”
Item 2 Current challenges and forward -looking strategies for the advancement and
empowerment of women and girls.”
The Commission on the Status of Women issued a Declaration (PDF, 2 pages) in 2005, which
reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and calls for full commitment to its
implementation.
Women’s organizations have stressed the need to link the Beijing Platform for Action and the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are comprised of eight goals, set by
10. governments in 2002, which seek to eliminate global poverty by 2015. In approaching the review
session, women’s organizations also reinforced the importance of coordination and cooperation
between women’s NGOs. For example, both INSTRAW and UNIFEM have made open
statements about their intention of working together to promote both the Beijing action plan and
the MDGs.
Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in Tanzania 2014
During the period under report, the State Party has continued to fulfil its obligations under the
Convention, to fully utilize the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPA) adopted at
that special session and Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), which reinforce
the provisions of the Convention.
During the period under report, the State Party recorded a number of achievements in
implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In addressing the specific needs
and conditions in Tanzania, some focus areas have been prioritized by the government to
implement with the BPFA and achieving MDGs, as indicated throughout this report. In
particular, twelve priority areas have been identified at the BDPA including: Women and
Poverty; women in the economy; education and training for women; women and health; violence
against women; women in conflict situations; women and power and decision-making; human
rights of women; women in the media; women and the environment; the girl child and
HIV/AIDS.1
During the period under report, the State Party has recorded a number of achievements in
implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In addressing the specific needs
and conditions in Tanzania, four focus areas have been prioritized by the government to
implement with the BPFA and achieving MDGs; as indicated below:
Enhancement of Women’s Legal Capacity
The legal literacy among population is still low and victims of domestic and gender based
violence are not provided with adequate legal aid A Series of awareness seminars on the gender
related laws has made some changes and several studies were carried out to build on the legal
literacy among population. 5 new laws have also been enacted including: the Employment Act
(2005), the Labour Relations Act (2005), the Workmen Compensation Act (2005), the
Occupational Safety and Health Act (2005), and the Zanzibar Social Security Act (2005).
Women’s Economic Empowerment and Poverty Eradication
11. Women have limited access to employment opportunities in the formal sector for current
statistics show that female employees constitute only 36.4 percent of the total employees in the
formal sector. Of those employed, only 8.64 percent are in supervisory and technical posts. Most
of the other women are engaged in informal sector doing petty businesses having economic very
low returns including small farming, seaweed farming, pottery and handcrafts.
Education, Training and Employment
Current opportunities that women are mobilized to take advantage include Karume and Kikwete -
KK Fund and BDG/TPSF. The KK Fund for the year 2008/9 has set aside TShs 1.2 billion for
Zanzibar, for use as cash guarantee against loans to be issued by the PBZ to SACCOS and
individual MSE operators. Individual applicants must be approved by their Shehia leaders and
SACCOS by the cooperative officers. Interest rate is set at 10% and the SACCOS cannot lend at
more than 12%, compared to between 18% and 30% charged on their other loans. Another
opportunity is the ongoing BDG programme, aiming to strengthen the entrepreneurial culture of
Tanzania. Cash award is given as seed capital to potential entrepreneurs by enabling
entrepreneurs to start or upgrade businesses by providing them with risk grants. The BDG
program cooperates with locally established key partners specialized in business training,
consulting, SME banking and enterprisedevelopment including TCCIA, ZNCCIA, SIDO,
National Microfinance Bank (NMB), the People’s Bank of Zanzibar.
Existing funds like WEDFT, LP, and PRIDE are committed to mobilise women to take an
entrepreneurial approach on credit received. Other similar initiatives include WEZA – a 4-year
project co-financed by EU/Care Austria and implemented by Care Tanzania and TAMWA with
JOCDO, PESACA, FAWE, and ZAFELA as associates. The programme benefit over 3533
women in Zanzibar under 161 VS & L aimed at increasing their income and overcoming social,
cultural and political barriers to their empowerment. Some members of ANGOZA like ZAWCO
and ZASO also execute components of income generating activities.
The main challenge the State Party faced in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Achievement is weak attempts to establish Business Development Services (BDS) designed
to help women start or redefine their employment, training goals and develop careers.
Millennium Development Goals
During the period under report the State Party undertook to effectively implement the Convention
in the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In particular, the State Party
submitted its implementation report of the MDGs, indicating the extent to which it has
successfully implemented and the challenges facing its implementation of the MDGs.
