Stakeholders Celebrate Transformative Impact of Chaguo Langu Haki Yangu Programme
By Ali Hamad,
Programme Analyst - Gender - Zanzibar
Dar es Salaam: The fourth and final National Steering Committee meeting of the Chaguo Langu Haki Yangu (CLHY) Programme was held in Dar es Salaam on 10th September 2025, marking the culmination of a transformative initiative launched in 2021 to advance the rights, choices, and dignity of women and girls—including those with disabilities—across four regions in Tanzania.
Opening the meeting, Co-Chair, Ms. Abeida Rashid, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children, Zanzibar, highlighted the significance of the occasion.
“Today’s meeting is particularly special—it marks the final National Steering Committee meeting of a programme that began with a bold vision,” she said. “Thanks to the generous support of the Government of Finland, we have witnessed tangible and transformative changes in the lives of adolescent girls, young mothers, and women in our communities.”
Ms. Abeida outlined the programme’s achievements, which span policy and systems strengthening, community engagement, and multi-sectoral, disability-inclusive GBV prevention and response services, adolescent girls and young women empowerment, and strengthening disability inclusive data.
“We have challenged and reduced harmful practices such as gender-based violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation,” she added. “The regions and districts involved have developed solid plans to sustain and scale up the gains made, and we are confident that the momentum will continue.”
Head of Cooperation of the Embassy of Finland, Mr. Juhana Lehtinen, expressed pride in the programme’s accomplishments.
“Through the commitment of governments, local authorities, implementing partners, UN agencies, and communities, we have accelerated the rights of women and girls, including those with disabilities,” he said.
Mr. Lehtinen was pleased by the local ownership of the programme and encouraged local governments to sustain the results and replicate successful practices in other regions.
UNFPA Representative Mr. Mark Bryan Schreiner emphasized the importance of reflection and sustainability.
“This final National Steering Committee meeting is an opportunity to celebrate the human impact—the lives changed, the barriers broken, and the hope restored,” he said. “The Chaguo Langu Haki Yangu Programme has been a catalyst for dignity and equality, showing us that transformation is possible when we unite behind a common purpose.”
Mr. Schreiner reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to support national development priorities, including the National Gender and Women Development Policies, the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children, and the national policies on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“Tanzania has made notable strides in protecting the rights of women and girls,” he added. “We must now commit to the road ahead—until no woman or girl is subjected to violence or harmful practices.”
Sharing the success stories from their regions, social welfare and community development officers from South Pemba, Urban West-Unguja, Mara, and Shinyanga mentioned increased participation of faith and traditional leaders, men and boys in GBV prevention, stronger multi-sectoral collaboration, improved empowerment opportunities for women and girls, and inclusive planning that involved persons with disabilities at every stage as among the achievements they are proud of.
In her closing remarks, UNFPA Tanzania Deputy Country Representative Melissa McNeil-Barrett acknowledged the leadership of government institutions at all levels, the quality of partnership, and underscored the importance of resource mobilization and optimization. She extended heartfelt appreciation to the implementing partners—C-sema, WiLDAF, TGNP, HelpAgeTanzania, and Tanzania Interfaith Partnership—for their unwavering work across sectors.
Launched in 2021 with support from the Government of Finland and coordinated by UNFPA, the Chaguo Langu Haki Yangu Programme aimed to accelerate progress toward achieving gender equality and fulfilling the rights of women and girls in Tanzania. Operating nationally and subnationally in four regions—two in the Mainland (Shinyanga and Mara) and two in Zanzibar (South Pemba and Urban West Unguja)—the programme focused on policies and laws, strengthening systems, promoting inclusive services, and challenging harmful practices through a gender transformative approach. Over its implementation period, CLHY has become a model for transformative, community-driven change and inclusive development.
Among the notable high-level achievements registered through the Chaguo Langu haki Yangu Programme were the development of NPA-VAWC II for the Mainland and Zanzibar, and the translation of the NPA-VAWC Mainland, along with the development of three contextualized VAWC Regional Strategic Plans for Mara, Shinyanga, and Urban West Unguja.
As for institutional strengthening, a total of two One-Stop Centers for Kishapu - Shinyanga and Tarime, together with two Police, Gender, and Children’s Desks for Zanzibar and Mara, were constructed and launched. In line with this, a total of 105 service providers in Shinyanga, Mara, and Unguja were trained to improve their capacity in providing quality services
More importantly, Adolescent Girls and Young Women, including those with disability, were empowered with vocational and life skills training, startup kits to start livelihood activities, and with alternative rites of passage and psychosocial support for those affected by FGM.
Earlier on, at the beginning of the national Steering Committee Meeting, the UNFPA Country Representative Mark Bryan Schreiner launched the book documenting the Chaguo Langu Haki Yangu Programme results printed in braille form - the first of its kind to showcase the inclusivity of the programme to persons of all abilities.
UNFPA Tanzania Media Inquiries:
Dr. Warren Bright,
UNFPA Communications Analyst,
United Republic of Tanzania
Phone: +255 764 43 44 45
Email: bwarren@unfpa.org
