In implementing the Beijing Platform of Action, Tanzanian human rights activists particularly women/gender organizations built a coalition of like minded organizations known as Feminist Activism (FemAct). These organizations come together over certain issues to plan and chart out strategies together. The coalition was formed in 1995 with about fifteen member organizations and its secretariat is TGNP.  Coalition building  was seen as an effective way to implement the Platform of Action as well as assigning leading roles on specific issues to one coalition member organization.  FemAct has as its objectives the facilitation of the discussion around gender equality and equity; empowerment of women and social transformation at all levels of society.  Identification and inclusion of other organizations is an on going process and to-date there are about Forty Five  member organisations.

The Goals of Feminist Activism Coalition
In order to promote a gender analysis of society and an understanding of universality of human rights, the FemAct Coalition developed the following goals:

The issues identified by the Coalition are approached by each organization from a gender perspective by using a social gender analysis framework. Efforts have been made to build the capacity of members to use participatory animation skills to articulate issues of gender. The coalition is proactive in dealing with discriminatory laws and other gender inequalities and has engaged in lobbying activities through its membership. Collective efforts along with a sense of networking are the key factors in the success reached by the coalition in implementing the Beijing Platform of Action.

Based on the 12 priority areas as stipulated in the Beijing Platform of Action,many organisations, NGOs, CBOs and the government have been engaged in different programmes and activities.  These activities either address the issues directly or create enabling environments that can facilitate their smooth implementation and register the required achievements.

The FemAct coalition came together and discussed on various issues in the platform and reached a common consensus on how to approach them. Land Coalition, Violence Against Women Coalition, Human Rights Coalition, Constitution Coalition, NGO Policy Coalition, Food Security Coalition, Civic and Voter Education Coalition, Gender Budget Initiative Coalition etc. are some of the initiatives that were taken by NGOs. Among many emerging NGOs, women groups and gender oriented organisations such as TAWLA, WLAC, TAMWA, WRDP, TGNP together with LHRC, WAT, TAHEA, Kuleana, and others emerged to be stronger and exemplary in their programmes and activities.

Gender and Development Seminar Series (GDSS)

Tanzania Gender Networking Programme conducts seminars every Wednesday, popularly known as the Gender and Development Seminar Series (GDSS). The seminars are held from 3:00pm to 5:00pm at TGNP offices, Mabibo Gender Resource Center, Dar es Salaam.

The Wednesday Seminar forum is increasingly becoming a popular space for gender capacity building, lobbying, networking and exchange of experiences and issues if popular development and gender.  The purpose of the seminars is to discuss and share information on topical gender and development issues at micro and macro policy levels for different development and gender related activities.

The GDSS seminars are conducted in a participatory manner to allow for discussions and generation of ideas and other issues. Women and men from all walks of life meet every Wednesday at the TGNP premises to discuss, exchange information and when necessary plan together a joint action on different topical and burning issues of concern.  The seminars are free and open to all network members and the general public. As we rely on our networkers availability and that of others, topics may change at late notice. 

If you are in the Dar Es Salaam area and would like to present a topic please contact us.