Tanzania has shared its progress in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM), outlining key policy measures and community interventions aimed at protecting women and girls from the harmful practice.
The Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dorothy Gwajima, said the government continues to strengthen prevention efforts and support services for survivors of gender-based violence and violence against children.
Dr Gwajima made the remarks while speaking at a side event organised by Liberia during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, currently underway in New York City.
She told the meeting that the government of the United Republic of Tanzania, working with development partners, is implementing the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC II) 2024/25–2028/29 and the National Multisectoral Strategy to End Female Genital Mutilation 2025/26–2029/30.
According to the minister, female genital mutilation remains a serious form of gender-based violence and a violation of the human rights of women and girls.
However, Tanzania has made progress in reducing the prevalence of the practice. Data from the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey show that the rate of FGM among women aged between 15 and 49 has declined from 10 percent to 8 percent nationally.
Dr Gwajima noted that despite the improvement, some regions still record high levels of the practice. These include Arusha Region and Manyara Region, each with a prevalence rate of about 43 percent.
She said the practice exposes women and girls to serious health and psychological risks, including severe pain, heavy bleeding, infections, complications during childbirth and, in extreme cases, death.
To strengthen protection, the government has established safe houses for girls at risk of being subjected to FGM, integrated service centres that provide medical, legal and psychosocial support to survivors, and gender and children’s desks at police stations to ensure cases are properly handled.
Despite the progress, the minister acknowledged that limited resources remain a challenge in expanding services to all communities affected by the practice.
She therefore called on development partners to continue supporting Tanzania’s efforts to eliminate FGM and promote the rights and wellbeing of women and girls.
The meeting was opened by Gbeme Horace-Kollie and brought together ministers responsible for gender affairs from Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania and The Gambia, as well as representatives from UN Women.
