The Embassy uses the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Action Plan for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Development Cooperation as a guiding document. Below are a few highlights on how gender is addressed in the various programs.
Norway has just completed its term as chair of the General Budget Support. During this time, Norway was active in encouraging both the Government of Tanzania as well as fellow development partners to critically consider gender in the targets being set in the Performance Assessment Framework being developed.
Gender is considered within the climate change program at various levels. In terms of building social capital, women have been awarded 8 of the 25 Masters scholarships under the climate change higher education and research program, while a further three women are shortlisted for 16 PhD scholarships. At the policy level, the Embassy has continued to push for the draft national REDD+ strategy to be screened from a gender perspective. Policy development is being shaped by nine field-based pilot projects implemented by NGOs, all of which have considered gender to varying degrees. They place most focus on achieving greater gender equity in local decision-making processes as well as access and control over resources and technology. One of the partners, CARE, has taken the lead in organizing a training event on gender and REDD. However, with only two of these projects being coordinated by women, the Embassy has initiated a gender and empowerment self-assessment for REDD pilot projects, the results of which will feed into future interventions.
In the final review of the subsea cable to Pemba several positive outcomes for women were noted. Above all, increased security, improved access to clean water and time savings for household work were the most significant.
Road construction project on Pemba has applied a labor-intensive technology where women have actively been encouraged to seek employment in the project and work with men. On the basis of religion, this has not previously been common on Pemba. Up to half of the 1,000 people who work in the project are women. The 45 km of road in which Norway will contribute with financial support also makes it easier for women and men to transport to health clinics particularly in case of illness and childbirth. Nurses reported increased numbers of women at the pre-natal clinics compared with time before the road was repaired.
In 2010, the Embassy entered into an agreement with the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) to promote the women’s traineeships. The program aims to have almost 300 female engineers achieve their license in order to work as fully fledged civil engineers in Tanzania. Within the first year the ERB has seen a dramatic increase in the number of female applicants and the Board has never formally had as many female applicants in the trainee program.
Gender is also a major component of the Embassy’s support to the health sector with a focus on MDG 4 and 5. The embassy’s contribution to the basket fund of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare aims at improving the health system as a whole so that men, women and children would be able to access a full range of health services with a particular focus on maternal, neonatal and newborn health. In addition to this the Embassy has been supporting Haydom Lutheran Hospital to provide services in remote areas again with a specific focus on MDG 4 and 5 activities. Finally, the Embassy in collaboration with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the MoHSW will be piloting a Pay-for-Performance scheme in Coast Region to improve maternal and child health services.
The Embassy has also funded NGOs through its partnership with Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid and the Foundation for Civil Society. Mainstreaming gender throughout sectors supported, as displayed here, remains a key priority for the Embassy.