DAR ES SALAAM. Civil society leaders, government officials, academics, and private sector representatives gathered in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday to examine Tanzania’s proposed 2025/26 national budget through a gender equality lens.
The Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) organized the annual Kijiwe cha Kahawa (Coffee Table) forum to bring stakeholders together to analyze how the budget addresses the needs of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and low-income communities.
“This forum goes beyond reviewing figures. We evaluate whether national resources truly meet the needs of all Tanzanians,” said Clara Kalanga, TGNP’s Acting Director and Head of Programmes. “Budgets must reflect the lived experiences of all citizens, not just those with the loudest voices.”
Kalanga urged participants to propose recommendations that promote fairness and accountability in public finance management by embedding gender-responsive budgeting.
The forum coincided with live presentations of Tanzania’s Economic Survey Report by Planning and Investment Minister Prof. Kitila Mkumbo and the upcoming national budget speech by Finance Minister Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba.
Since 2016, Kijiwe cha Kahawa has served as a platform where citizens and policymakers engage directly to influence fiscal priorities and improve community participation in the budget process.
TGNP emphasizes that ignoring gender in budgets results in policies that perpetuate inequality.
This year’s forum adopted the theme: “Building an Equal Society: Promoting Gender Responsive Budgeting Towards the 2025/26 National Budget and Investing in Gender Equality, Women’s Rights, and the National Development Vision 2050.”
TGNP will use insights from the discussions to drive advocacy efforts that strengthen inclusive policymaking and monitor government spending. For more than three decades, TGNP has worked with communities across Tanzania, employing the Opportunities and Obstacles to Development (O&OD) model to ensure local priorities influence national policies.
“With Kijiwe cha Kahawa, Tanzania demonstrates how inclusive dialogue can reshape fiscal policy and ensure no one is left behind,” Kalanga said.