CLIMATE CHANGE IS VIOLATING THE GIRL CHILD
"I
used to think climate change was a matter for scientists and leaders of big
countries. But after participating in these sessions, I have discovered that it
is one of the reasons why a girl child in Tarime is being raped while walking
to fetch water." This statement from a contributor from Tarime narrated
the story of a third-grade girl who was raped while going to fetch water,
demonstrating how drought and resource scarcity place girls at great risk.
Another contributor from Ruvuma asked "How can we connect this topic with
the real challenges of teenage pregnancy due to low income?" These
questions clearly showed that citizens have begun to see the connection between
climate change and their daily lives.
The Gender
and Climate Change Tanzania Coalition (GCCTC) and Women Action Towards Economic
Development (WATED) organized these sessions with the aim of launching a guide
that will enable women and youth to understand and participate in climate
change negotiations, Supported by Global GreenGrants Fund, BothEnds,
and the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action. Their
commitment to advancing gender-responsive climate justice, youth leadership,
and grassroots advocacy made the development of this guide and the three-day
national dialogue in Dodoma possible. Participants from government
institutions and civil society organizations discussed ways to increase
representation of vulnerable groups across the country.
A BRIDGE
BETWEEN POLICY AND COMMUNITY REALITIES
Maria
Matui, National Coordinator of the Gender and Climate Change Tanzania Coalition
(GCCTC) who also serves as Executive Director of Women Action Towards Economic
Development (WATED), has been a leading advocate for ensuring that the voices
of women and youth are not left out of climate change discussions. During the
three-day workshop that brought together participants from various government
ministries and civil society organizations, she explained the importance of
this guide as a bridge between international policies and the real challenges
facing Tanzanians in rural areas.
She
clearly demonstrated that she understands climate change is not merely an
academic topic, but a disaster affecting women searching for firewood, girls
being raped while fetching water, and pastoralists being beaten when they
return home late due to drought. In her opening speech, Maria emphasized that
this guide was developed taking into account the gaps that have emerged in
national discussions, including limited understanding of negotiation processes
and the lack of a practical guide targeting ordinary women and youth. She
stated clearly that no more than 24 percent of rural citizens understand the
impacts of climate change despite being the most affected.
A CALL TO
ACTION FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH
"This
guide aims to ensure that women and youth are not only present at the
decision-making table but also have genuine influence in shaping climate
outcomes that affect their lives and future generations," said Maria. She
discussed the importance of involving all stakeholders, including
representatives from the Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Lands, and the
Commission for Human Rights, to ensure that this guide meets the needs of every
sector and becomes a shared national tool. She concluded by reminding
participants that this guide is not merely for reading but is a call to action
for women and youth to take up their responsibility. She said that through her
experience of collaborating with various African and international
organizations, she has learned that finding common ground and building
consensus among diverse stakeholders is essential for achieving gender equality
in climate policies. She explained that GCCTC has been working closely with
government, civil society organizations, and grassroots communities to ensure
gender issues are integrated into climate strategies. "This guide will
ensure that women and youth have genuine influence in shaping climate outcomes
that affect their lives and future generations," she emphasized.
MOTHER
TONGUE AND THE POWER TO MAKE DECISIONS
Dr.
Fredrick Manyika from the Office of the Vice President officially launched the
guide with remarks that touched the hearts of many, demonstrating the
importance of using standard Kiswahili. "I would not prefer to use English
so that even children who have not yet gained understanding of this language
can hear. Even when a baby is breastfeeding, they listen through their mother's
breast," he said. He added that Tanzania's Development Vision 2050
recognizes youth and women as crucial capital for a sustainable economy that is
resilient to climate change. He stated that without women and youth, Tanzania
cannot achieve its economic and environmental goals. This guide provides
practical methods to ensure they gain educational, financial, and political
opportunities in sectors such as climate-resilient agriculture, clean energy,
and green jobs.
He urged
women to believe in their abilities and use this tool to participate in
national and international processes without hesitation, emphasizing that it is
time for action, not waiting to be told what to do and decided for. He said
this guide is not only for reading but is a tool for building capacity to
conduct professional negotiations. "The guide that has been prepared must
help us strengthen our capacity to conduct negotiations because participation
by numbers or by quantity alone cannot bring meaningful results," he said.
BEING PART
OF DECISIONS AND A NATIONAL STRATEGY
"This
is a call for women and youth to stop being mere witnesses in meetings and
instead become part of decisions," said Dr. Manyika as he urged them to
learn negotiation techniques and understand climate finance strategies.
"Let us not go there only to come back and say they decided as if you were
a witness... You be part of that decision because if you decided wrongly, then
let us all be part of that process," he emphasized. He added that
strengthening the participation of women and youth is not just a matter of
charity or equality, but a national strategy. "Strengthening the
participation of women and youth is not only a matter of equality but is a
strategic matter in achieving sustainable development and an economy resilient
to climate change," he said firmly. This statement received loud applause
from all participants, as it clearly showed that the government views women and
youth as a crucial pillar in combating climate change and achieving national
development as a whole.
COLLECTIVE
POWER CAN PASS POLICIES AND RESCUE GIRLS
Rose
Marandu, Executive Director of Women Fund Tanzania Trust, responded to a
question from a participant from Ruvuma who asked: "We women living in
marginalized areas, how can Women Fund Tanzania reach us so that we can access
funds?" She said women are reached through various means, but the biggest
and broadest way is to join platforms for building capacity and fighting for
rights. She explained how the building of collective power helped them pass the
policy to extend maternity leave led by Doris Mollel, and amendments to the
PCCB (Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau) law to prevent a woman who
engages in sexual bribery from being prosecuted, because the patriarchal system
is what drives her to that point.
"Collective
power is greater than a grant of one million shillings that can get lost along
the way before even reaching Dodoma," she emphasized. Regarding girls who
experience teenage pregnancy, she explained their campaigns calling on the government
to make sanitary pads part of the school uniform so that girls do not miss
school during menstruation. She also mentioned the establishment of safe houses
in Shinyanga, Kilimanjaro (Siha and Sanya Juu) for children fleeing child
marriage. She added that climate change exacerbates the magnitude of existing
challenges for women, and this increases gaps of inequality and subjects’ women
to even greater suffering.
THE
SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN HIGHLANDS FOR WOMEN
Rose
Marandu explained that because of climate change, women are forced to travel
long distances to fetch firewood and water due to the drying up of natural
sources, which puts them at risk of experiencing gender-based violence such as
rape. She also said these changes have increased the burden of family care
responsibilities (Care Economy). "We need a revolution in this area of
care economy, which involves tasks of raising children, caring for the sick,
and serving the community. It is important to have strong policies like our
counterparts in Kenya to reduce this workload for women," she said.
On her
part, Irene Sanga, representative of the Pastoral Women's Council (PWC) from
Arusha, carried the audience with her testimony linking climate change and
gender-based violence. She described women in Longido, Monduli, and Ngorongoro
who walk more than three kilometers to a full day searching for water, and when
they return late, they are beaten by their husbands. "Maasai women have
awareness that climate change is happening because they see rains arriving late
and animals lacking water," she said. She added that the government
encourages pastoralists to practice productive livestock keeping, but for women
this is oppressive because their livelihoods depend on livestock. PWC has made
efforts to provide women with alternative income sources such as poultry
keeping. Her request to the government was clear: women need the right to own
land and access to capital and resources. "Instead of providing only
awareness education, let us look at the root cause which is lack of water and
resources," showing that climate change fuels conflict and violence in
pastoralist communities.
VOICES
FROM THE MARGINS: KIGOMA AND VICOBA GROUPS
In Kigoma
region, climate change has caused a significant reduction in resources such as
fish, which plunges women into acts of violence and "sexual bribery"
to meet the needs of their families. This situation causes many social problems
including unwanted pregnancies and marriage breakdowns. To address these
challenges, there is a great need to allocate gender-responsive budgets that
will enable women to access larger loans for business and agriculture instead
of small loans that are insufficient. Furthermore, social groups such as
Village Community Banks (VICOBA) should be used as platforms for educating each
other about environmental conservation. Members can establish a culture of
buying and planting trees, because just one tree can bring significant climate
change and provide shade as well as fruits for the next ten years.
It is
important for women and youth to move away from outdated systems and embrace
digital technology to access accurate information through radio and social
media. Through training, communities should understand international treaties
concerning drought, biodiversity, and deserts in order to take meaningful
action. Construction of settlements and farming near water sources should be
stopped to prevent floods that sweep away homes and property, a situation that
leaves people in extreme poverty. "We are responsible for caring for our
environment now so that we leave a green world for our children and
grandchildren. If we do not do this today, future generations will face major
disasters like earthquakes and shifting mountains, which could cause disability
and loss of life in environments that will not be safe for humans to live in
peace and happiness," said Ms. Martha.
A NEW
STRATEGY TO REACH RURAL CITIZENS
Mr.
Innocent Magesa, Government Attorney, said: "The government has announced
a new strategy to reach rural citizens through VICOBA groups, with the aim of
providing legal empowerment and human rights education, particularly in matters
of inheritance and land." Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Magesa noted that
the ministry has decided to direct its efforts to rural areas where access to
empowerment opportunities is easier through existing social systems. The main
goal is to ensure special groups, including women, youth, and children, receive
education that will help them recognize and claim their rights. He explained
that Tanzania has been participating in international forums, including a major
meeting held recently in Ethiopia involving various African countries. That
meeting aimed to strengthen conflict resolution using traditional methods,
where Africa is recognized as the founder of such systems. "We have
learned that we have good customs and traditions that we should follow and
develop to help our communities resolve challenges peacefully," said Mr.
Magesa.
PRIORITIES
AND THE NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION
Through
various campaigns conducted, the government has identified that the leading
conflicts in society are divided into three main areas: land and inheritance
(affecting women and youth most), marriage and family (including child
maintenance challenges), and rights of special groups through legal aid points.
To address these challenges, the government has begun strengthening marriage
conflict resolution by establishing special committees at the ward level. This
program has begun implementation in Kagera and Kigoma regions, where local
leaders are used because they know the challenges and environment of their
people well. Currently, the ministry is continuing preparations for the
National Plan of Action on legal aid matters. This plan aims to strengthen community
participation and the development of guidelines that will enable citizens to
have legal understanding. Mr. Magesa emphasized that understanding is an
important weapon for any citizen. "Once a person gains understanding, they
gain the power to question and discuss. Without education, a woman may hesitate
to claim her right while waiting for her husband's opinion, yet legally she has
full rights to make decisions," he concluded.
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