Dar es Salaam. Legal Services Facility (LSF), a local NGO that works to increase access to justice for all, signed an agreement with the Belgian development agency Enabel to promote access to justice among Tanzanian women through legal aid.

The European Union-funded ‘Gender Transformative Action: Breaking the Glass Ceiling’ project aims to address gender-based violence in Tanzania by promoting gender equality and access to justice, particularly among women and girls.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at LSF’s office in Masaki, Dar es Salaam, LSF Executive Director Lulu Ng´wanakilala said the signing of the Sh10.7 billion worth MoU marks a “pivotal moment” in the organisation’s ongoing commitment to advancing justice and equality in Tanzania. 

“With the signing of this grant agreement between LSF and Enabel, we embark on a

journey to enhance access to justice for women and marginalised groups through the improved access to justice for women through legal aid,” Ms Ng´wanakilala said.

While various actors are making commendable efforts to ensure that women and girls have equal access to justice in Tanzania, actors in the sector agree that more needs to be done to realise the goals of equal treatment of people in the hands of judicial systems.

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Ng´wanakilala, whose organisation is considered one of the leading players in access to justice in Tanzania, believes that the partnership between LSF and Enabel “holds immense promise” in addressing the systemic inequalities that hinder women’s access to justice in the country.

“We will work tirelessly to ensure that every individual, regardless of their socio-economic status, has access to the legal support they need, to

seek redress and uphold their rights,” Ms Ng’wanakilala committed herself.

Koenraad Goekint, Enabel’s Resident Representative in Tanzania, said during the signing ceremony that, at its core, the ‘Gender Transformative Action: Breaking the Glass Ceiling’ project is a comprehensive legal aid and legal empowerment programme. 

“It is designed to address inequality in access to justice and bolster the capacity of organisations like LSF to deliver quality legal aid services to those in need and advocate for a conducive environment for legal aid in Tanzania,” Mr Goekint said. 

“Through a strategic partnership and a holistic approach, we aim to transform the Tanzanian access to justice landscape and to make it a fundamental

right for all Tanzanians, particularly for women and girls,” he added.

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Mr Goekint added that Enabel’s gender transformative approach goes beyond mere recognition of disparities by seeking to transform underlying power dynamics and social norms that perpetuate inequality and discrimination.

“Enabel’s work is deeply rooted in the human rights-based approach, aiming at providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive justice institutions,” he explained.

The Gender Transformative Action: Breaking the Glass Ceiling project is part of the European Union’s flagship program of breaking the glass ceiling, which dedicates 90 million euros to progress in gender equality in Tanzania. 

Speaking during the signing ceremony, EU Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Christine Grau, said that the EU and its member states are investing more than 200 million Euros in Tanzania, about Sh545 billion, most of which are invested in women’s and girls’ empowerment. 

“So our mind is not only on gender equality, but we are also forming a bit concrete actions,” she noted. “For us, it’s our sincere hope as European Union that this funding will really serve as a catalyst to drive progress in this area.” 

Sullivan Brice reports for The Chanzo from Dar es Salaam. He’s available at sullivanbrice1@gmail.com.