In Tanzania, one in two women experience some form of violence—emotional, physical and/or sexual, at the hands of a spouse. Almost 75% of children under the age of 18 have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence.
However, most cases of violence are not reported, since violence is widely accepted as a reality of the culture.
A baseline study conducted by Equitas and our partner TUSONGE in 2015, in three communities in the Kilimanjaro region, confirmed that violence against women, children and youth in the home and in public spaces is a major barrier to their participation in decision-making that affects their lives.
The voices of women, children and youth are not heard in their communities or in their homes.
What we do
Addressing these challenges through human rights education, Equitas is committed to:
- equip community members with knowledge, leadership skills and tools to change behaviours and influence public dialogue to address violence within families and communities;
- build collaborative partnerships between civil society, local authorities and community leaders to address violence against women, children and youth through policy dialogue and implementing the laws;
- strengthen existing national and community networks and mechanisms which address violence against women, children and youth;
- disseminate good practices, lessons learned, research findings and capacity-building tools on a regional and national level through forums and dialogues.
Our Impact
“When you empower women in decision-making, you empower the whole.”
– Community member, May 2015.“I feel empowered. This is capacity building.”
– Michael Reuben, a local leader and Equitas alumnus
Through our work in Tanzania, we have:
- deployed innovative approaches to engage the community. As part of the Equitas approach to involve participants at every step, animated Gallery walks displaying the results of the baseline studies were undertaken in each of the three communities and attracted hundreds of community members.
- helped women of Msaranga who participated in trainings and community initiatives increase their confidence and ability to lead in their communities. Similarly, men involved in the trainings and initiatives also reported shifts in attitudes and behaviour in the home towards domestic chores and the traditional roles of men and women.
- reached over 1,800 community members in 2015-2016, tripling our outreach from the previous year.
Our partners
Equitas works in Tanzania with TUSONGE.
Our work in Tanzania is part of Strengthening Human Rights Education Globally, funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
