In Tanzania, UN Women works with other UN agencies within one UN system for delivery as one, under the overarching United Nations Development Assistance Plan 2016 – 2022 (UNDAP II), which is aligned with and contributes to Tanzania’s national priorities and commitments.  Under the UNDAP Outcome “Underserved populations in Tanzania benefit from a more gender-responsive, conducive business environment, with improved opportunities for decent and productive employment”, UN Women contributes to inclusive and gender-responsive economic growth by supporting outputs including: 1) Relevant MDA and selected LGAs have strengthened capacities to review and implement evidence-based economic policies and plans to be business-enabling, environmentally sustainable and gender–responsive; 2) Relevant institutions have enhanced capacities to provide gender-responsive, market-oriented, quality programmes, products and services; and 3) Micro, small, medium and large enterprises, in particular those led by women and youth, have strengthened capacities to increase productivity, add value to their products and access markets. UN Women also supports advocacy initiatives to increase and improve women’s participation in the economy and activities to enhance capacities of women and female youth farmers to apply environment-friendly and adaptive techniques and practices for their livelihood activities.

In line with the UNDAP II as well as internationally agreed normative standards, UN Women Tanzania’s Strategic Note (SN) for the period 2017-2022 lays out the agency’s unique role and comparative advantage in supporting national stakeholders in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women by strengthening women’s leadership and participation in political and governance systems, gender statistics, implementation of global gender norms and standards, ending violence against women and girls, and women’s economic empowerment. To promote women’s economic empowerment including income security, decent work and economic autonomy, UN Women’s interventions address: policy and strategy-level support including enhancing capacities of policy makers and Local Government authorities in implementation of policies and strategies in selected economic sectors; removing financing barriers and capacitating women to invest in climate smart agriculture; and promoting opportunities and capacities of women farmers to move up the value chain and green agricultural supply chains.

Background/Context for required services/results.

To contribute to delivering of the UNDAP II and its aligned Strategic Note of UN Women Tanzania, in September 2020, UN Women and UNFPA in Tanzania launched a 3-year Joint Programme, entitled “Realizing Gender Equality through Empowering Women and Adolescent Girls”, in Ikungi District of Singida Region and Msalala District of Shinyanga Region by support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The Joint Programme supports ongoing efforts and commitment by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, in alignment with the Agriculture Sector Development Plan (ASDP) II, National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPAVAWC 2017/18 – 2021/22), and the Village Land Act to advance gender equality and end poverty by improving women’s economic empowerment, agricultural transformation, ending all forms of violence and harmful practices against women and children, and strengthening village land use planning.

The objective of the programme is to enhance social and economic status of women and adolescent girls in both districts by: 1) empowering women and female youth farmers economically; and 2) enhancing the capacity of the sub-national actors and community to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), including harmful practices.

The expected results of the programme are:

Outcome 1: Women and female youth farmers empowered economically.

• Output 1.1: Increased capacity of women and female youth farmers to apply Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in sunflower and horticulture farming for higher yields.
• Output 1.2: Increased collective marketing capacity of women and female youth farmers.
• Output 1.3: Enhanced land tenure security and economic agency of women and female youth within the enabling households and the wider community.

Outcome 2: Enhanced capacity of sub-national and community to prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence (GBV) including harmful practices.

• Output 2.1: Strengthened capacities of local institutions and service providers to prevent and respond to gender-based violence including harmful practices.
• Output 2.2: Women and adolescent girls have the entrepreneurship skills and capabilities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence including harmful practices.

In these two outcome areas, UN Women is responsible for delivery of Outcome 1, largely at Ikungi District in Singida Region and at a smaller scale at Msalala District in Shinyanga Region, in addition to supporting Police Gender and Children’s Desks at Ikungi District and Singida Region.

The joint programme is expected to directly benefit about 2,350 adult women (above 24 years old), female youth (15 – 24 years old) and adolescent girls (12 – 14 years old) in both districts. Among these age groups, UN Women targets adult women and female youths over 15 years old for their economic empowerment activities. In addition, a total of 6,000 women and men in four villages (Mnang’ana, Kipumbwiko, Irisya, and Munyu) located in Ikungi District will benefit from the land tenure security intervention that will support the villages to develop the village land use plans and to acquire Certificates of Customary Rights of Occupancy (CCROs).

At the upstream level, UN Women and UNFPA will collaborate with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), Ministry of Land Housing and Human Settlements Development, National Land Use Planning Commission, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania Police Force, and other stakeholders. At the sub-national level, both agencies will work with the Ikungi and Msalala District Councils and selected non-government organizations (NGOs).

General Overview of services required/results. 

To contribute to achieve Outcome 1: empowering women and female youth farmers economically, UN Women delivers interventions in three output areas: 1) Increased capacity of women and female youth farmers to apply Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in sunflower and horticulture farming for higher yields; 2) Increased collective marketing capacity of women and female youth farmers; and 3) Enhanced land tenure security and economic agency of women and female youth within the enabling households and the wider community. The theory of change of Outcome 1 is that: if their agricultural capacity including access to and utilization of knowledge, inputs and technologies are strengthened; if women have improved access to productive resources, particularly land and finance; and if positive awareness and attitudes on women’s economic entitlements are enhanced in households and the community, women will become empowered economically. The community sensitization will help achieve the project results by ensuring that community members become aware on women’s economic rights and shared domestic responsibilities in issues related to agriculture, land and GBV.