The Government of Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting gender equality and strengthening women’s access to justice during the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women taking place in New York City, United States.
Presenting Tanzania’s country statement at the global forum, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dorothy Gwajima, said Tanzania remains committed to working with the international community to advance gender equality and ensure women and girls have equal access to justice.
Dr Gwajima told delegates that access to justice is a key pillar for economic and social development, noting that Tanzania has placed gender equality and social inclusion at the centre of its long-term development framework, the Tanzania Development Vision 2050.
She said the vision continues to guide reforms in national laws and policies aimed at strengthening the protection of women’s rights and promoting equal participation in development.
According to the minister, Tanzania has enacted and implemented several laws that safeguard the rights of women and girls.
These include the Land Act, Village Land Act, Legal Aid Act, Law of the Child Act, Education Act and provisions under the Penal Code.
She added that reforms in the justice system have helped improve efficiency in handling cases. Tanzania, she said, has managed to reduce the backlog of appeal cases by 50 percent between 2021 and 2024.
“Through legal reforms, Tanzania has addressed discriminatory customs and amended various laws, including electoral legislation, to make gender-based violence in politics a criminal offence,” Dr Gwajima said.
The government has also introduced several national strategies aimed at improving access to justice and protecting women and children.
These include the National Strategy for Women’s Access to Justice, the Second Five-Year National Plan of Action for Children, and the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children.
Dr Gwajima said Tanzania has strengthened policies such as the National Land Policy to ensure women’s rights to own and inherit land while intensifying efforts to eliminate harmful practices including female genital mutilation and child marriage.
She further explained that the country has adopted innovative approaches to improve legal service delivery, including the electronic case management system (e-Case Management), Integrated Justice Centres and One Stop Centres that provide coordinated legal and social support services.
By 2025, about 88 percent of cases handled in these centres had been resolved, with women accounting for 61 percent of beneficiaries receiving legal aid services.
Dr Gwajima also highlighted the impact of the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign, noting that the initiative has so far provided legal assistance, legal education and court representation to more than 2.1 million women and girls across the country.
Despite the progress, Tanzania acknowledged that challenges remain in ensuring full gender equality and universal access to justice.
The country therefore called on development partners and other nations to strengthen cooperation and collective efforts in advancing the global gender equality agenda.
“Tanzania remains committed to learning from others and working together with the international community to ensure women and girls fully enjoy their rights,” Dr Gwajima said.
