September 2025: Between the 17th and 30th of August 2025, UNFPA convened two meetings—the “Field Monitoring Visit” and the “Regional Coordination Committee Meeting”. They set out to review the Chaguo Langu, Haki Yangu Project (My Choice, My Rights) focusing on the sustainability of the project as well as providing information about the upcoming final evaluation. A total of 114 people (59 women, 55 men) attended the meetings, with representatives from the implementing partners including TGNP, local government authorities, community members, and the UNFPA team.
INSIGHTS
The rich discussions during both meetings brought several critical issues to the forefront including:
- Accelerating justice for survivors. Strengthening collaboration among different service providers to accelerate justice for those experiencing gender-based violence was an important issue among those who attended the meetings. Participants also debated the solutions to common challenges in the justice system.
- Empowering project participants. Intergenerational dialogue members, faith leaders, men, and boys involved in the project shared the lessons they learned and the challenges they encountered during the “Intergenerational Dialogue Sessions”. These International Dialogue Sessions aim to change negative social norms that perpetuate GBV, child marriage, and discrimination against women, girls, and people with disabilities.
- Insights from the institutions involved including reflections on:
- The Police Gender and Children Desks. These play a crucial role in investigating and prosecuting GBV cases, providing referral services, and supporting those experiencing violence.
- One-Stop Centres. These provide access to medical care, legal aid, counselling, and disability-inclusive services.
- Cross-border collaboration to end FGM: Meetings with cross-border female genital mutilation (FGM) members allowed for an in-depth look into their strategies to protect women and girls during the upcoming FGM season. Participants discussed gaps, lessons learned, and resource mobilization strategies to ensure the continuation of this vital work.
- Community-led change: The team met with village leaders and members of the ‘Women and Children Protection Committee’ in Mwigumbi to understand how they enacted new by-laws and the positive changes in preventing GBV and child marriage since their implementation.
- Engaging the next generation: At the Michakaini Primary School, the UNFPA team and partners met with teachers to discuss collaboration with other sectors and actors to raise awareness among children, teachers, and parents about ending GBV, child marriage, and discrimination against children with disabilities.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Final Project Evaluation: An end-of-project evaluation will provide evidence to inform the design of a new project, mentioning the ongoing preparation of the possible UNFPA-UN WOMEN joint programme.
- National Symposium: Participants agreed to co-coordinate an upcoming national symposium to discuss and review systems that address technology-enabled gender-based violence.
- Regional Strategy Implementation: Key strategies for the Regional National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC) focused on:
- Strengthening institutions that provide prevention and response services.
- Promoting community-level social behavior change.
- Empowering women and girls, including those with disabilities.
- Ensuring the availability of quality, disaggregated data for planning and budgeting.
- Developing resource mobilisation strategies to support the regional plan’s implementation.
These collaborative efforts underscore a shared commitment to building on the successes of the Chaguo Langu, Haki Yangu Project and continuing the fight for a future free from violence and discrimination.
