Republic of Korea commits $5 million to UNFPA-UN Women joint programme to advance gender equality in Tanzania

A new three-year joint programme, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, UNFPA and UN Women, will work with partners to advance gender equality efforts in rural areas of the Singida and Shinyanga regions of Tanzania. 

Activities under the programme will seek to challenge social norms that perpetuate inequality and violence towards women and girls. These include establishing community structures and safe spaces that increase their agency and ability to claim their rights. The initiative will also work with paralegals, police and the health sector to strengthen systems that prevent and respond to gender-based violence. 

Outreach in the Ikungi and Msasala districts, where the project is being implemented, will aim to drive positive and sustainable change to end gender discrimination and garner public support and commitment to uphold women and girls’ rights within communities.  

Activities under the programme will also improve women and girls’ economic empowerment by creating a more enabling environment for women to hold land titles and by supporting smallholder farmers, including young women, to participate and increase their productivity in the agricultural sector through climate-resilient practices and increased access to markets.
 
“Creating a better and more inclusive future for women and girls in Tanzania is an integral part of the UN’s interventions in Tanzania,” stated UN Resident Coordinator Zlatan Milišić. “The joint programme will contribute to advancing gender equality efforts and leverage the strengths of sister agencies to ensure that rural women and girls are not left behind.”

In the Singida and Shinyanga regions of Tanzania, deeply-rooted gender roles continue to limit the participation of women and girls in social and economic life and drive gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation. Physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence remain a reality for countless women and girls.

As a longstanding partner of UNFPA, the Republic of Korea prioritizes advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls.

The Republic of Korea was one of UNFPA’s top 20 donors in 2019.