Tanzania tells the UN of its achievements against gender-based violence and FGM
NEW YORK: TANZANIA has intensified efforts to combat gender-based violence and female genital mutilation (FGM), with new national strategies already showing progress, including a decline in FGM prevalence.
Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups Dorothy Gwajima made the statement during a side event organised by Liberia on the margins of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, United States noting that the government, in collaboration with development partners, is implementing the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA–VAWC II) for 2024/25–2028/29, alongside a national anti-FGM strategy running from 2025/26 to 2029/30.
Additionally, Dr Gwajima said Tanzania continues to strengthen interventions against FGM, describing the practice as a form of gender-based violence and a serious violation of human rights affecting women and girls.
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According to the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey (TDHS-MIS), FGM prevalence among women aged 15–49 has dropped from 10 per cent to 8 per cent, although high rates persist in regions such as Arusha Region and Manyara Region, each recording 43 per cent.
She said FGM leads to severe health and psychological complications, including excessive bleeding, infections, childbirth complications and, in some cases, death.
At the implementation level, the government has established safe houses for girls at risk, one-stop centres for survivors, and gender and children’s desks at police stations to ensure victims receive protection and justice.
However, the minister noted that despite the progress, resource constraints remain a key challenge in sustaining and expanding interventions.
