Gwajima to launch govt’s widow coordination guideline today

KIBAHA: AS Tanzania joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Widows Day, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, is expected to officially launch the Government’s Guideline for Widows Coordination during national celebrations to be held in Iringa Region today.

According to a statement released by the ministry the event will be held under the theme: “Let’s Strengthen Economic Opportunities for the Development of Widows.”

Tanzania is home to 1,396,262 widows, accounting for 4.4 per cent of the country’s female population, according to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census.

The newly launched guideline seeks to create a supportive environment for widows, enabling them to engage in and grow productive activities.

“The guideline aims to provide a collective and facilitative framework to empower widows to start and expand incomegenerating ventures,” the statement reads in part.

ALSO READ: Widows in Africa lack enough support, says Mwinyi

The government has made several efforts to support widows nationwide, including the provision of soft loans through local government councils.

These loans target special groups — women, youth and persons with disabilities.

To date, a total of 22.07bn/- has been disbursed to women’s groups, including widows. In addition, widows now have access to free legal services through the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign, which has so far benefited 2,698,908 individuals 1,347,325 men and 1,351,583 women across the country.

Observed annually on June 23, International Widows Day provides an opportunity for widows to reflect on their lives, plan for the future and raise their voices on issues affecting them.

The day also encourages networking and promotes awareness of the social and economic opportunities available to widows