March 08, 2015

TAMWA scoops two awards at the International Women’s Day 2015

The Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA) won two awards in recognition of its endless efforts to bring about gender equality and women empowerment in the country.
The awards were presented by Tanzania President Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete to TAMWA’s Acting Director, Gladness Munuo, as part of International Women’s Day marked every year on March 8 to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action to achieve equality for women.

Nationally, the day was celebrated in Morogoro where TAMWA conducted series of activities such as a presentation on Child Early and Forced Marriage, the provision of legal services and counseling to women, children and gender based violence survivors and engaging the media in publicizing the global event at national level.

The first National Award recognized TAMWA for its outstanding contribution to the awareness raising and prevention of Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation.

TAMWA also emerged an overall winner of awards provided in recognition of contributions towards awareness raising on gender equality and women empowerment.

These awards are a result of the advocacy that TAMWA has been doing in collaboration with international partners DANIDA, UNFPA, UN Women and Ford Foundation and with national partners; the Media, the Child Dignity Forum, the Masanga Centre in Tarime, The Tanzania Ending Child Marriage Network (TECMN), and the Anti-FGM Coalition, the ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children and various other stakeholders working against all forms of GBV in Tanzania.

This is the second time within a span of two weeks that TAMWA’s contribution in fighting for gender equality, women empowerment and the rights of the girl child is recognized. On February 24, the High Commission of Canada presented an award to Executive Director of TAMWA, Valerie Msoka to honor her distinguished contribution to the efforts to end child, early and forced marriage in Tanzania.
The Morogoro event, in which President Kikwete was the Guest of Honour, was also attended by  Hon. Sophia Simba, Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children, government officials, politicians, members of the diplomatic corps,  representatives from UN agencies, funds and programmes, Civil Society representatives, the media and the general public especially women and children.

February 06,2015

MAADHIMISHO YA KUPINGA UKEKETAJI SINGIDA

Chama cha Wanahabari Wanawake nchini (TAMWA) Kimeungana na mashirika mengine yanayopinga vitendo vya ukatili wa kijinsia na kutetea haki za binadamu tarehe 6.02.2015 kuadhimisha siku ya kupinga ukeketaji Duniani ambayo mwaka huu imefanyika kitaifa mkoani Singida.

Lengo la maadhimisho hayo ni kuunganisha nguvu za wabunge, wakuu wa mikoa, polisi, mahakama, viongozi wa dini,waathirika wa vitendo hivyo, wanafunzi walimu,wazee wamila pamoja na ngaribaili kuweka mikakati ya kuondoaukatili huo kutoka asilimia 15 hadi sifuri.
Waziri wa jamii,Jinsia na watoto, Sophia samba alikuwa mgeni rasmikatika maadhimisho hayo yenye kauli mbiu isemayo, piga vita ukeketaji.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa TAMWA Valerie Msoka alisema kuwa anaamini ukeketaji unaweza kuisha endapo jamii itapatiwa elimu ya kuondokana na mila kandamizi kwani zinakiuka haki za binadamu na kudhoofisha afya za wasichana na wanawakepia kusababisha vifo vingi

  KUTANO MKUU WA WANACHAMA WA TAMWA (AGM 2014)

 Tembelea ukarasa wa wafacebook kwa picha na maelezo zaidi kuhusiana na Mkutano Mkuu uliofanyika tarehe 29, machi, 2014.

 Bonyenza kitufehapa

Women Coalition On Constitutionalism Rights For Women in Tanzania

December 17,2014

The Coalition of Women and Constitution held a one-day workshop with more than 30 community Radio editors to enhance their understanding of women’s rights issues in the Proposed Constitution.

TAMWA Executive Director, Valerie Msoka, who was one of facilitators, said TAMWA believes the media is a powerful vehicle for social change.

“The proposed constitution has looked at the plight of women in the past 53 years including, discrimitive laws, land issues, gender inequality and outdated culture and traditions and rectified these,” she said.

The coalition is made up of more than  50 Civil Society Organizations and Individual members who are defenders of Human Rights, especially women’s and Children’s rights; these includes Tanzania Media Women Association(TAMWA) Women Fund Tanzania (WFT), Tanzania Women Cross Party (TWCP)-ULINGO, , Tanzania Gender Networking Programme ( TGNP),  Tanzania Women Lawyers(TAWLA),Equality for Growth (EfG), Haki za Wanawake (HAWA), Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Consultancy Organization (KWIECO), Shirikisho la Vyama vya Walemavu Tanzania (SHIVYAWATA), Tanzania Union Congress Tanzania (TUCTA), Tumaini Women Development Association (TUWODEA), Women Legal Aid Centre (WLAC), Zanzibar Gender Coalition(ZGC) na Wanawake wanaharakati binafsi.

July 19,2014

WOMEN COALITION ON CONSTITUTIONALISM RIGHTS FOR WOMEN MEETS WITH EDITORS

TAMWA Executive Director Ms Valerie Msoka talking to Editors from Tanzania media houses about  Women rights issues to be incorporated in the New Constitution during a meeting  between Women Coalition and editors held at TAMWA Resource Center  at Sinza Mori on Saturday July 19,2014.

 The Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), in collaboration with the Women Coalition on Women’s Rights and Constitutionalism Rights in Tanzania met with editors from various media houses seeking their support in creating awareness on the women’s agenda in the new constitution. The meeting was held at TAMWA’s office in Dar es Salaam.

The meeting discussed issues that the Women Coalition seeks to address through the constitution, such as conflicting laws, norms and traditions which are affecting women’s access to basic human rights and the existence of discrimination and oppression against women and children, especially the girl child in our society.

 The coalition believes that redressing these issues will ensure that all Tanzanians, women and men, enjoy being part of a democratic society that respects human rights equality for all. This is because a constitution that is gender sensitive is built on principles of equality, dignity and respect for women and men and which will not allow for any form of discrimination and/ or oppression in the society.

 One of the member of Women Coalition in Constitutionalism Rights for Women, Dr Ave Maria Semakafu sharing Women's constitutional agenda that need editors attention during this time of constitution review process.

The Women Coalition also believes that the new constitution has the responsibility to ensure that all its action promotes and geared towards ensuring gender equality and empowering women as a means of achieving Tanzania’s goals of peace and security as well as a sustainable political, economic and social development.

 The Coalition consists of more than fifty organizations and individuals which defend women and human rights in Tanzania such as TAMWA, Equality for Growth (EFG), Tanzania Women Lawyer Association (TAWLA), Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) and Tanzania Women Cross Party (TWCP-ULINGO).

November 28, 2014

On-going Events This November and December

December 25, 2014 Public rally from Mnazi Mmoja ground to Karimjee hall. Nationally this has been organised by WiLDAF, TAMWA is among the major stakeholders and will fully participate.

This year theme is “OPEN UP! DISCLOSE GENDER BASED VIOLENCE FOR THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY”

December 2, 2014 CRC –TAMWA one day education awareness session with Kinondoni and Kitunda-Kivule paralegals at TAMWA conference centre.

December 5,2014 CRC will hold a one day counselling for clients at TAMWA grounds, (counselling will be in a form of group and one by one).(Bring your neighbour, sons and daughters)-We are going to invite a Specialist Counsellor who is going to team with CRC. Click here for more activities.

July 17,2014

 SUMMARY REPORT ON PARALEGAL TRAINING HELD ON 15TH  – 16TH  JULY 2014 AT  TAMWA OFFICE DAR ES SALAAM

 1.  About Training

CRC - TAMWA conducted two days training to twelve Paralegals from Newala, Ruanga,Lindi Rural and  Kinondoni - Dar es salaam.

This took place  on 15th  and 16th July 2014 at TAMWA Conference Room, Sinza Mori.

2.  OBJECTIVES

• To know their challenges especially in providing Legal Aid services and counselling;
• To raise awareness on Laws relating to public issues like the ’Marriage Act’, ’Land Law,’ ’Inheritance Law’ etc. and
• To overcome  challenges and  improve better services.

3. Training Team

The Facilitators for the training were the Excecutive Director of TAMWA, Ms.Valeria Msoka; CRC-Coordinator – TAMWA Ms. Gladness Hemedi Munuo, Social Worker CRC- TAMWA Ms. Marcella Lungu and Legal Officer of CRC – Tamwa Ms.  Loyce Gondwe

4.  Areas Covered

• Training Objectives;
• The Law of Marriage Act of 1971;
• Ward Tribunal and Village Council;
• Probate Act and administration of the Deceased Estate;
• Court System;
• By Laws;
• How to provide counseling; and

• General duties and obligation of Paralegals.

July 14,2014

Up coming events this July,2014

1. Crisis Resolving centre (CRC) will conduct Paralegal Training that will commence on 15^th to 16^th of July, 2014 at TAMWA Resource Centre where by Paralegals from Kindondoni, Newala, Lindi rural and Ruangwa districts will come together to learn and share legal issues related to Gender based Violence (GBV) facilitated by GEWE II:GBV component project.
2. Crisis Resolving centre (CRC) provide Legal Aid Services every Monday to Wednesday and is opened at  09:00 AM and closed at 03:00 PM.

20.12.2013

CRISIS RESOLVING CENTRE (CRS)

From January to December 2013 CRC attended a total of 2878 clients for the three districts of Dar es Salaam region. Of these, 2470 were from Kinondoni district, 250 from Ilala district and 158 clients from Temeke district. These cases were on matrimonial disputes, Probate, Child maintenance, child abduction, land disputes, rape and family abandonment.

With TAMWA being recognized in its fight against GBV, the CRC received 30 cases clients from other regions seeking services. These included two young girls who had run away from Hanang’, Arusha to escape FGM and child marriage.

In building the capacity of the response mechanisms, CRC trained police gender desk officer from different police posts in Kinondoni district on handling of domestic violence cases. Another training was conducted for 60 paralegals from Kinondoni, Newala, Ruangwa and Lindi Rural district on handling gender based violence cases in their villages.

On a daily basis CRC has managed to:

1. Support women and children survivors of gender based violence in terms of food, cloths shelter and education.

2. Reunite children with their mothers – those who were forcibly taken from their mothers.

3. Provide capacity building to women to enable them to defend their rights in public.

4. Reach both the perpetrators and survivors of domestic violence/gender based violence and educate them on the rights of women and children and the negative effects of GBV on their children and the society.

5. Protect survivors of domestic violence especially underage girls who were forced to stop school in order to get married.

July 08,2014

Mariam Hamdani and Valerie Msoka are two veteran TAMWANITES who have this year made their mark in Tanzania’s media literary scene.

In a book titled ‘A history of Zanzibar Media – Traditions and Transitions’ Mariam Hamdani and co-authors Ali Rashid and Fatma S. Amour, chronicle the history of media and mass communication development in Zanzibar from time immemorial to-date.

For more information download it.

March 27,2015

Zaidi ya Wanachama 100 wa Chama cha Wanahabari Wanawake nchini- TAMWA Jumamosi tarehe 28^th Machi, 2015 wanafanya Mkutano wake Mkuu wa mwaka 2014 ambapo pamoja na mambo mengine wanachama watapata fursa ya  kutathmini kazi zilizofanyika  mwaka 2014, na utekelezaji wa mpango mkakati wa 2015-2021. Mkutano huo utaanza saa 2:00 asubuhi katika ofisi za chama zilizoko Sinza Mori, Dar es Salaam.

Mkutano huo ulianza na mafunzo Ijumaa tarehe 27^th Machi mwaka huu na kuwapa fursa wanachama kujadili mafanikio yaliyopatikana kwenye mpango mkakati wa miaka mitano iliyopita (2009 -2014) pamoja na changamoto zilizojitokeza katika utekelezaji ambapo pia watamchagua Mwenyekiti mpya baada ya aliyekuwepo kumaliza muda wake.

Aidha baada ya mkutano huo wanachama watajumuika pamoja katika hafla ya kuchangia mfuko wa shughuli za TAMWA (Gala Dinner) ambazo ni pamoja na kupiga vita vitendo vyote vya ukatili wa kijinsia kwa wanawake na watoto itakayofanyika jioni katika hoteli ya Serena, jijini Dar es Salaam.

Mkutano mkuu wa TAMWA ndicho chombo cha juu chenye mamlaka ya kurekebisha katiba yake, kuingiza wanachama wapya, kuchagua viongozi, kupitisha ripoti za mwaka na kutoa maamuzi kuhusu mipango na mikakati ya chama kuhusu utetezi.

March 08,2015

Every year March 08, the whole world celebrates women’s day around the world. TAMWA as the largest shareholder of women and children rights has been the forefront duting celebration. TAMWA made various exhibitions as well as provided legal support and advice, in the event the special guest was the president of the Republic of Tanzania honorable Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete accompanied by the Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children honorable Sophia Simba with his deputy, Hon Pindi Chana. TAMWA received two awards that are awareness of gender issues and fight-FGM as well as early marriage. The slogan was ''uwezeshaji wa wanawake tekeleza wakati ni sasa"

February 24,2015

High Commission of Canada honors advocate working to end child marriage

The High Commission of Canada presented an award today to honor a Tanzanian who has made a distinguished contribution to the effort to end child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM).

The High Commissioner of Canada, H.E. Alexandre Lévêque, presented the award to Ms. Valerie Msoka, at a ceremony this afternoon at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam.

 The Permanent Secretary for Community Development, Gender, and Children (MCDGC), Ms. Anna Maembe, represented the Government of Tanzania at the ceremony.  Among those in attendance were many of the leaders in the fight against child marriage in Tanzania, along with development partners from UN agencies and foreign diplomatic missions.

Ms. Msoka will carry the title of Champion for CEFM for 2015.  As CEFM Champion, Ms. Msoka will take part in a range of outreach activities across Tanzania over the next year.  She will travel to Canada, to meet Canadian government officials and civil society representatives supporting the fight to end CEFM.

High Commissioner Lévêque applauded the tireless efforts of the scores of women and men working to end CEFM.  He said today’s award is designed to highlight the need for advocacy.

“The girls and women who have borne the burden of child, early, and forced marriage need to have their stories told,” said High Commissioner Lévêque.  “Here, and around the world, these girls and women need an advocate:  a champion who can tell their stories, and help bring people together to change things for the better.  Valerie Msoka will be that advocate.  I am proud to name her the High Commission of Canada’s CEFM Champion for Tanzania.”

The High Commissioner said Ms. Msoka’s work will support the efforts by Tanzania’s government, civil society, UN Women, the UNFPA, and development partners.

February 24,2015

Mafunzo kwa Waandishi wa Habari:
Chama cha Wanahabari Wanawake Tanzania-TAMWA kwa kushirikian na Shirika linalo hudumia Idadi ya Watu UNFPA Kinatoa mafunzo ya siku tatu kuhusiana na kuandika habari za uchunguzi wa unyanyasaji wa kijinsia.Mafunzo hayo yanaendelea kutolewa kwa waandishi wa habari mapema tarehe 23 hadi Tarehe 25 Februari mwaka huu katika kanda tatu nchini Tanzania.
Mafunzo katika kanda ya Kaskazini yatajumuisha mikoa ya Arusha, Manyara Tanga na Kilimanjaro na yatafanyika mjini Moshi mkoani Kilimanjaro. Katika Kanda ya Kati, waandishi wa habari watatoka mikoa ya Dodoma, Morogoro, Singida na Tabora ambapo mafunzo yatafanyika mjini Singida. Mafunzo katika Nyanda za Juu Kusini yatajumuisha mikoa ya Iringa, Mbeya, Njombe na Ruvuma na yatafanyika mjini Iringa

February 10,2015

Commemoration Zero Tolerance of the FGM

The Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children (MCDGC) Hon. Sophia Simba on 10^th February signed the Girl Summit Charter on behalf of the Government of Tanzania as part of the 2015 Zero Tolerance of the FGM day commemoration.

The event by the MCDGC follows the June 2014 Girl Summit held in London, as well Tanzania’s effort to end FGM and child marriage. Notably, the National FGM Forum held 6 and 7 February 2015 in Singida by MCDGC, TAMWA and UNFPA, as well as the launch of the national campaign against child marriage entitled Child Marriage-Free Zone in August 2014. All these events have highlighted that ending child marriage and FGM are national priorities.

During the signing Minister Sophia Simba emphasized that, "the government of the United Republic of Tanzania is fully committed to ensure that FGM comes to an end so that our girls can enjoy their happy life free from lifelong psychological and health stress which the cut girls endure. Also as a country, we will ensure that no girl will be married before eighteen especially after our new 2014 proposed constitution is approved and all discriminatory laws are repealed. I urge all ministries and agencies, CSOs and other stakeholders including politicians to make ending FGM and child marriage their priority agenda".

Speaking at the signing event, Dr. Natalia Kanem the UNFPA Representative noted that: “The momentum is building! We already have so much evidence of the fact that the public opinion in Tanzania is against child marriage, and FGM is against the law. The young women and men in Tanzania are counting on future leaders to bravely stand up for what is right. With strong leadership eradicating the practices can be achieved in just a short few years.”

The British High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ms. Dianna Melrose, welcomed the signing and noted that: “The Girl Summit has achieved unprecedented levels of public engagement and support to end child marriage and FGM, it is great to see Tanzania adding its voice to these efforts and reinforcing the message that FGM and child marriage are not acceptable in any part of this country.  Working together we can bring an end to these practices and ensure that all Tanzanian girls are able to fulfill their full potential free from violence.”

Tanzania has one of the highest child marriage prevalence rates in the world; almost two out of five Tanzanian girls will be married before their 18th birthday. While the FGM practice continues notably in Manyara, Arusha, Dodoma, Singida and Mara regions.

December 03,2014

Launch of Campaign Against Sextortion

A nationwide campaign to end sexual exploitation was launched in Dar es Salaam as part of the activities to mark the 16 Days of Activism against GBV.

Launching the campaign in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzania Vice President's wife, Mama Asha Bilal, called upon victims of ‘sextortion’ to come forward and report to responsible authorities reminding them that silence fuels the illegal practice.

Sextortion which is a combination of words sex and extortion is a form of GBV that employs non-physical forms of coercion to extort sexual favours from the victim.

Mama Bilal told the audience at the Leaders’s Club grounds that sextortion is a form of corruption where people in positions of authority such as government officials, teachers, doctors and law enforcement personnel seek sexual favours in exchange for a service that is within their authority to grant or withhold.

She said that the campaign aims at fighting against sexual abuse at the workplace and in schools and institutions of higher education.

The Coalition against Sextortion (CAS), formed in May 2014, is chaired by the Tanzania Women Judges Association(TAWJA) and co-chaired by the Women Fund Tanzania(WFT) and brings together a number of Human and Women and Children Rights organizations such as TAMWA,TGNP, TAWLA, WLAC and TUCTA with the objective of breaking the silence on sextortion through awareness raising and evidence based advocacy

The co-chairperson of CAS Ruth Meena said the campaign will bring to light the suffering brought on by sexual harassment both in terms of emotional abuse and in the lack of concern by judiciary.

The Tanzania Media Women Association (Tamwa) reports that an estimated 75 to 89 per cent of women in Tanzania have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

November 25,2014

16 Days of Gender Activism

 The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign that starts on 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day. The campaign hopes to raise awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international level. This year’s theme is ”Let’s challenge militarism and end violence against women”

TAMWA has seen the need of training 30 Photojournalists with Interest of vanishing gender based violence. This Training of 30 photo journalists from different regions in Tanzania is going along with the 16 Days of Gender Activism and also exhibiting photos that have a theme of gender violence. The photo exhibition is taking place in the National Museum with duration of two days 25^th and 26^th of Nov 2014.

The main objective of TAMWA is to convey information by the use of picture. It is widely known that a well taken photo speaks thousand words so every picture will transmit different messages.

November 20,2014

9TH AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE 20 YEAR REVIEW OF THE BEIJING DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION

Press Release: Governments Must Re-Dedicate to Women’s & Girls’ Rights Commitments.

August 26,2014

The National Ending Child Marriage Campaign launched in Dar es Salaam

Graça Machel speaking at the launch of the National Ending Child Marriage campaign in Dar es Salaam

The Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), Graça Machel Trust (GMT), Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) and the Tanzania Ending Child Marriage Network (TECMN) launched a National Ending Child Marriage campaign branded “Child Marriage Free Zone”.

The campaign is aimed at strengthening national dynamics for ending child marriage and ensuring that girls in the country get their rights.

Graca Machel, founder of the Graca Machel Trust, launched the campaign and said the fact that Tanzania was in the frontline in the African liberation against colonialists, it should also take the lead in the fight against gender violence.

She said the on-going constitutional making in Tanzania is an opportunity to review and redress oppressive laws on women and children.

She called for better strategies in devising the type of messages and activities that are used in the fight against child marriage saying communities are not homogenous and that what might work in Mwanza will not necessarily work in Iringa.

Ms Machel added that for a long time the focus has been on the community as a whole while ignoring the fact that it is the mother and father who play an important role in child marriage process.

Retired, Third phase President, Benjamin Mkapa   who was also in attendance said girls have constitutional rights that ought to be protected and that leaders must respect and observe girls’ rights.

The Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children Minister, Sophia Simba welcomed participants to the launch and said that child marriage is a cross cutting issue and  the government in its efforts to fight child marriage the has been implementing the Maputo Protocol which recognizes a child as a person who is below 18 years.

MS Simba added that the government has put in place numerous initiatives to save girls and women including the 2015 vision that incorporated gender equality as a national priority issue. Others are the child the policy of 2009 and Sexual Offences Special Provision Act (SOSPA) of 1998.

The campaign will initially focus on Tarime district, Mara region and the experience gained will be used in the fight against child marriage in Tanzania.

Tanzania is among 20 leading countries in child marriage cases with statistics showing that for every five girls, two are married under the age of 18.

Ending Child Marriage is among  TAMWA’s strategies against Gender Based Violence.

March 28, 2014

TAMWA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD AT TAMWA RESOURCE CENTRE

 Members of the Tanzania Media Women’s Association- TAMWA today 28th March, 2014 begun its Annual General Meeting- (AGM), which among other things they had  an opportunity to discuss the implementation of its Strategic Plan for the next five years from 2015 to 2021.

 The meeting which took place at its office in Sinza Mori Dar es Salaam, reviewed the progress made in the past five years from 2009-2014 as well as the challenges faced in the implementation of the Strategic Plan ending in 2014.

Every TAMWA member was provided with 2009-2014 Strategic plan Evaluation form to fill their views on the performance, success and challenges encountered during 2009-2014 Strategic plan implementation over past six years.

Also they had an opportunity to go through new TAMWA strategic plan development processes to prepare themselves for the actual TAMWA Strategic plan for 2015-2021 development scheduled to commence in June 2014.

TAMWA Annual General Meeting is the highest organ body which makes the final decisions of the organisation which includes operational planning and approval of its Annual Report.

March 08,2014

TAMWA AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2014

As the world marks international women’s day, The Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA) also reflects on its journey in bringing the issues of Women onto the national agenda.

The International Women's Day is traditionally a day when women of the world unite to celebrate achievements and protest injustices against women. The day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action to achieve equality for women.

For TAMWA, each year marks a step against inequality which started in 1987 when twelve women journalists who strongly opposed the way media portrayed women and the way women were treated in the media houses, joined hands to remedy the situation.

Through the years, the realization grew that it was not only media women who were discriminated, undermined, under-represented and sexually harassed, it was in every sphere of society. So, TAMWA joined the national and international fight for against injustices and for gender equality.

Today the organization has grown to more than 100 members and TAMWA continues to educate, raise awareness and facilitate both women and men on their rights, especially those of women and the girl child.

TAMWA does this through its media advocacy because it believes that the media plays a crucial role in changing people’s attitudes. By working closely with media houses, editors and journalists through meetings and trainings, TAMWA has contributed variously to the transformation of the Tanzania society.

Over the last 20 years, through the use of media, TAMWA has succeeded in creating and intensifying awareness and mobilising for action on issues related to gender-based violence such as wife battery, killing of elderly women due to witchcraft beliefs, rape, FGM, child marriage, early pregnancies, women visibility in decision making as well as alleviating poverty amongst women. The struggle for women special seats went hand in hand with the enactment of the popular law on sexual harassment namely the Sexual Offences Special provision Act (SOSPA) of 1998 for which TAMWA was instrumental.

Each year, TAMWA uses the International Women’s Day to highlight issues that need action and celebrate what has been achieved. And this year’s theme "Inspiring change" amply reflects what TAMWA has done through the years - the growing awareness of the need for women's equal participation at all levels and every sphere of the society as well as a united voice against gender based violence.

For years, TAMWA has been celebrating the International Women’s Day by participating in number of TV and radio programmes, exhibition, presentations and articles in the print media all aimed at creating awareness to the Tanzanian society including policy makers on the need to change the policies that undermine women in the country.

In 2014, TAMWA celebrates the 200 journalists trained in the past year on reporting GBV and gender sensitive reporting, the 400 girls who ran away from undergoing FGM, of the men who take up action against women and children being abused, the families it has reconciled and cases it has assisted through its Crisis Resolving Centre.

Most importantly, TAMWA celebrates the fact that through its media advocacy women have participated in the historic constitutional making process and that the Constitutional Assembly includes 100 women and 101 men from Civil Society Organisations, learning institutions and religious bodies. It is a gain against inequality worth celebrating.

 TAMWA in collaboration with Gender Equality and Women Empowerment GEWE II: GBV Component partners have met with Tanzania Mainland Editors today, 31^st August 2013 at TAMWA Resource Centre, Sinza Mori to launch Journalist Guide to GBV reporting.

TAMWA has also urged editors to support TAMWA campaign against gender based violence cases in Tanzania that has largely affected Women and Children.

The manual will guide journalists in the investigation GBV cases and best ways to report GBV issues/cases affecting women and children.

 Click here to Download your English and Swahili copies

Planned results for 2009-2014 Strategic plan

• The increase number of women in all decision making organs to 50% including ministerial cabinet, parliament, and village councils   by year 2014 6,000 poor women in Zanzibar (3000 from Pemba North and 3000 from Unguja South) sensitized and access credit facilities to engage in economic activities.
• Significant reduction in school pregnancy occurrences specifically in target regions.
• Reduce maternal deaths by 50 percent by 2014. (Current maternal death is 579 per 100,000).
• Arrest  the spread of HIV in target regions.
• Significant reduction in grand and petty corruption cases.
• Significant reduction in violence against women and children eg.in FGM, child marriages, rape, abandonment of women and children, denial of women inheritance rights etc.

 Expected outputs

The expected outputs of the TAMWA interventions for the coming Six years include:

• Reduced poverty among women in targeted area.
• Reduced school pregnancies, child marriages, FGM, abandonment of women and children, maternal mortality and poverty in women in targeted  areas.
• Enhanced public awareness  and action against  corruption in all its forms and levels.
• Increased participation of women in  decision-making levels.
• Improved maternal health.
• Increased awareness on impact of gender based violence and HIV infection among women.
• The amendment and /or repeal of bad laws that impact negatively on well being of women and children.

We humbly request for you support to enable us realize plan.