Gender equality is a human right. Education is also a human right and important for all, but essential for the survival and empowerment of women and girls.
As many other underdeveloped countries, Tanzania has a serious gender issue. According to the OECD Tanzania has a high discrimination factor. The inequality is in particular very high among the poor/low income families.
Investing in girls’ education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Women who are educated:
1/ are more likely to marry later
2/ to have smaller families
3/ to understand healthcare and how to access it
4/ to be cognizant of their rights within their society
5/ Children with educated mothers are more likely to survive than those whose mothers did not receive an education
6/ contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities
7/ improve prospects for the next generation.
Still, despite solid evidence demonstrating the centrality of women’s empowerment to reducing poverty, promoting development and addressing the world’s most urgent challenges, gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise.
On our scale, we would like to change that. Our 12-months course empowers adolescent girls. The aim is to equip them with the needed technical, personal, life and leadership skills. 90% of the graduates will find a job and hence attain self-reliance and social independence. By interrupting their circle of poverty, these future mothers can guarantee that their kids will be born in a positive circle. Additionally, the become agents of change in their communities.
Excerpt of the official responses of the Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children to the questionnaire on the achievement of Millennium Development Goals to the United Nations:
Q1. Who are those in the country most likely to face food insecurity and why?
R: Women, Children, elderly and those living with HIV/AIDS
Q2. Who are those most likely to be working poor or those who are engaged in vulnerable work?
R: Women, Girls and children
Q3. People from which population group are most likely to drop out of primary school in your country and why?
R: Girls, children from the poor families, Orphans. Why: Early pregnancies and marriage at tender age. Traditional customs which favors men / boys access to education, especially from the poor families.
Q4. From which population groups are girls least likely to attend secondary or tertiary education and to work in wage employment?
R: Women and girls from the poor families and rural areas due to assymetric relation in decision-making powers. Poor families cannot afford school and tuition fees.