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INTRODUCTION
The
Gender Festival is an open forum for likeminded individuals and
organisations to come together to share experiences and
knowledge, to celebrate achievements and assess challenges
ahead, to strengthen networking and coalition-building, and plan
collectively for social change from a feminist perspective, to
build capacity and to contribute to public debate.
The main goal of the conference each year is to bring together
people interested in gender from all walks of life, from
villages and districts of Tanzania and other parts of the world,
for the purposes of activism and information sharing on a
particular issue. This four-day event integrates analysis,
research, activism, and art with effective results. Originally,
the event was held annually, but since 1999 it has been
organized every other year in order to allow more time for
follow-up actions and preparation for the next festival. The
Festival provides the venue and space, and an opportunity to
reach out to more than 3000 activists coming from all over the
country and outside.
The
very first GF
was conducted
in year 1996,
followed by another one in 1997. Through joint reflection on the
experience, TGNP and its FemAct partners decided to
organise GF
alternatively every other year [namely 1999, 2001, 2003, and
2005] in order to allow for an adequate time for follow-up
actions from the conference.
WHY GF?
A
large number of organizations and individuals in Tanzania,
African Region and beyond are involved in the promotion of
gender and feminist issues, with increased depth and breadth of
their activities during the 1980s and 1990s. However, there are
few opportunities to meet together and exchange information,
skills, experiences, and to reflect on the opportunities and
challenges faced. The Gender Festival is intended to fill that
gap. It is open to all interested organizations, institutions
and individuals. Participants take part in the event as
facilitators and presenters of workshops, exhibitors and active
participants in the same.
The event gives an opportunity to a broad spectrum of
stakeholders within civil society and government to come
together to chart out a gender transformative agenda in an
organized and coordinated fashion. The forum enables
gender/feminist activists and allies in civil society to advance
an independent development agenda that meets the needs of
marginalized groups within the country and beyond while
strategizing on how to engage with government and donor
institutions.
TGNP receives numerous requests from NGOs and CBOs to attend
the Gender Festival from across the country and beyond. Many of
them would like to present case studies and participate in the
Gender Exhibition, highlighting the development efforts they
have made thus far and their achievements and challenges in the
process.
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