Dar es Salaam & Dodoma, Tanzania: 17-22 June 2015

In 2014, PGA launched its Global Parliamentary Campaign to End Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM). The Campaign seeks to raise awareness about this violation of human rights that affects approximately 14 million girls every year and to mobilize its network of Parliamentarians to discuss the root causes and consequences to girls and women’s lives, as well as to their country’s progress. PGA’s main goal is to empower MPs to strengthen their national frameworks to address CEFM and accelerate its eradication. This Campaign, and its target initiatives, is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada (DFATD).

To give continuity to, and build on, the results of Phase One of PGA’s 2014 Parliamentary Seminar to Combat Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Ghana, PGA convened a Parliamentary Delegation to Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, Tanzania on June 17-22, 2015 composed of Members of Parliament, Hon. Anna Andrew Namthanga Kachikho, from the Parliament of Malawi, and Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, from the Parliament of Ghana, and PGA staff. The purpose of the Parliamentary Delegation was to sensitize Tanzanian parliamentarians on CEFM and consult with relevant stakeholders and partners on best strategies through which PGA can contribute to their work in-country.

Activities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

On 18 June 2015, PGA’s Parliamentary Delegation met with Ambassador Sinikka Antila from the Embassy of Finland.  Ambassador Antila informed PGA’s Delegation of the pivotal role women politicians play within the Tanzanian Women’s Cross-Party Parliamentary group, which advocates for policies that promote women’s and children’s issues within the Tanzanian Parliament. 

PGA’s delegation also met with the High Commissioner of Canada in Tanzania, whose support has been key for the undertaking of this initiative. High Commissioner Alexandre Lévêque emphasized that child, early and forced marriage is an international human rights concern that requires the active and dedicated participation of both female and male Members of Parliament in order to challenge the issue, and expressed the importance of continuing the advocacy early next year as the new Parliament takes office. After this meeting, the delegation met with Hon. Judge Francis S.K. Mutungi, Registrar of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.  PGA hopes to work with Judge Mutungi and the Registrar’s office to plan a side event for women political leaders in Tanzania, to take place during the second Capacity-Building Session for Tanzanian Parliamentarians in February 2016.

On 19 June 2015, PGA staff met with Mr. Koshuma Mtengeti, Executive Director of the Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) and NGO leaders from the Tanzania Ending Child Marriage Network (TECMN).  The TECEMN coalition, launched on the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October 2012, is comprised of 35 civil society organizations working together to end child marriage in Tanzania.  Leaders from the coalition attending the meeting provided PGA’s delegation with very concrete recommendations to deliver to Members of Parliament, that include: the amendment of the Law Marriage Act (LMA) of 1971 to have 18 as the legal age of marriage for both men and women; the domestication of international human rights instruments that would encourage harmonization of the current legal and policy framework to Tanzania’s international commitments as a State Party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), among others; monitoring and increasing budget allocations for programs that empower women and girls through education and skills acquisition, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS prevention; and establishing and maintaining social-service structures that protect girls who report cases of CEFM.

In the afternoon, PGA met with representatives from the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children.  Permanent Secretary Anna Maembe informed PGA of the Ministry’s four main policy areas: community development, women and gender, child development, and NGO coordination, where child marriage awareness is a cross-cutting issue across all policy areas.  PGA will work closely with the Ministry to identify parliamentarians to champion the issue of child marriage in the months ahead.

Dodoma, Tanzania

On 20 June 2015, Mr. Koshuma Mtengeti (CDF) and Ms. Valerie Msoka, Executive Director of Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA) (who received the first Champion against Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Tanzania Award by the Government of Canada in recognition of her efforts to protect the rights of women and girls) joined PGA’s Delegation in Dodoma, Tanzania.  The Delegation met with staff and participants of the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Network (AFNET), an NGO that advocates for alternative rites of passage for women and girls, teaches girls about their human rights and how to stand up to them, and convenes communities to discuss the issue openly. After meeting with AFNET staff in their headquarters office, the Delegation traveled to the Kongwa district in Dodoma, Tanzania to meet with female participants of the AFNET program.  In order to reduce the prevalence of FGM and CEFM in their region, the seven young participants provided a strong recommendation that Members of Parliament should prioritize resources to ensure that girls under 18 remain in school.

Capacity-Building Discussion on Child, Early and Forced Marriage with Tanzanian Parliamentarians

In collaboration with the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, and hosted by Hon. Dr. Pindi Chana, MP, Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children of Tanzania and Chair of PGA’s International Council, PGA held a Capacity-Building Discussion on Child, Early and Forced Marriage with Tanzanian Parliamentarians that took place in Parliament House, in Dodoma, Tanzania on 21 June 2015.

The purpose of the discussion was to raise awareness about child marriage and empower Tanzanian Members of Parliament to effectively analyze and address its root causes, share best practices with Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and Hon. Anna Kachikho, Parliamentarians from Ghana and Malawi respectively, and build capacity and political support to develop an enabling legal and policy framework that protects girls’ human rights. In addition, the session also facilitated the engagement between Members of Parliament and civil society working on this issue thanks to the participation of Mr. Koshuma Mtengeti  and Ms. Valerie Msoka. 

The session brought together 40 Tanzanian Members of Parliament, 23 male and 17 female from across the country, including Zanzibar. 

At the closing ceremony, Tanzanian Parliamentarians participating in the session adopted a Resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage, which among its commitments, highlights:  raising awareness of the value of the girl child and the prevalence of CEFM in Tanzania; developing and implementing national strategies and action plans that empower girls; advancing an enabling legal and policy framework that effectively addresses the issue; working in partnership with civil society, private sector and the media, as well as engaging and encouraging public dialogue with religious and traditional leaders to coordinate actions; and calling for a robust target on CEFM under Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals by signing, circulating and endorsing PGA’s Global Parliamentary Declaration to End Child, Early and Forced Marriage.

The Parliament has currently dissolved to prepare for 2015 elections.  During the election period, PGA will provide ongoing technical assistance and will monitor actions in Tanzania.  In close coordination with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children, PGA will foster ongoing dialogue between the Ministry and civil society and work with them to identify parliamentarians whose term begins in 2016 to champion the topic of child marriage and incorporate it in the new legislative agenda. 

Next Steps

A follow up action in Tanzania is scheduled for February 2016 once the new Parliament is sworn in.  The objectives for Segment Two of the Capacity Building Session for Tanzanian Parliamentarians is to provide the tools and capacity, among re-elected and newly elected MPs, to effectively address CEFM and include the topic as a priority in their parliamentary agenda; and build political support to create an enabling legal and policy environment that protects women’s and girls’ rights.  This session will also focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), expected to be adopted in September 2015,  to promote the importance of monitoring the implementation of this development framework at the national level as well as the allocation of resources to new and existing policies and laws that address child, early and forced marriage to ensure their effectiveness.

Within the activities of this Global Parliamentary Campaign on CEFM, PGA is also organizing a field mission to Ghana this fall.  As a follow-up to the Statement of Commitment adopted by participating MPs at the Parliamentary Seminar on Combating CEFM in Ghana that took place in Accra, this activity will seek to increase the capacity and engagement of Ghanaian Parliamentarians to advance legislative reform and promote cross-learning with Tanzanian MPs working to end CEFM.

Mónica Adame
Senior Program Officer, GEP
E: monica.adame@pgaction.org

Maureen Ahmed
Program Associate, GEP
E: Maureen.ahmed@pgaction.org