The European Union Delegation in Tanzania
has funded and launched today a TZS. 1,400,000,000, equivalent to EUR 600,000,
three- year project (2017 – 2020) to counter child marriage and female genital
mutilation (FGM) that will be implemented by Plan International Tanzania in
partnership with Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) and New Light For Children
Organisation (NELICO), Tackle Africa and Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) in
Geita and Tarime Districts.
The Head of Delegation of the European
Union to Tanzania Ambassador Roeland van de Geer underlined the EU's commitment
to acting in genuine partnership with Tanzania, international and regional
organizations, and civil society to combat violence and harmful practices
against women and girls. "Child marriage and FGM are a violation of girls’
human rights. These harmful practices have a devastating impact on a girl's
health, her well-being and personal development but they also have a
detrimental ripple effect on the society as a whole. Ending child marriage means
a positive effect on the health and education of girls and their children, it
contributes to a lower fertility rate and increases women’s expected earnings
and household welfare."
Plan International Tanzania Deputy
Country Director, Ms. Gwynneth Wong, said that Child Marriage in Tanzania prevails
at the rate of 37%, where three out of ten girls enter into marriage before the
age of 18 with Mara having the highest rate of 55% and Geita 37%. The Deputy
Country Director also revealed that while the national prevalence rate of
Female Genital Mutilation is at 10%, Mara is at the rate of 32%, three times
the national rate. All these practices deprive the girl child of their
potential to contribute to both national and personal developments.
“The girls are deprived of their right to
enjoy their childhood and reaching their goals. Subjecting them to early marriages
and mutilating their genitals puts them at risk of maternal health complications
and even deaths. This fuels the poverty cycle and is against the UN Sustainable
Development Goals”, said Gwynneth Wong.
The project targets over 1,500 in-school
and out-of-school girls aged between the age of 10 – 24, and aims to prevent
the incidences of harmful traditional practices of Child Marriage and FGM
through empowering girls and strengthening of community, civil society and
government support systems to respond to girls’ rights violation and challenges.
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