Empowering Communities for a Resilient and Inclusive Future

A multi-dimensional approach

Our approach to inclusion in multi-dimensional, addressing four interconnected dimensions namely agency, safety, resources and opportunities as depicted below:

Our approach at FCS will emphasize agency, believing it unlocks safety, resources, and opportunities sustainably. It is also aligned with our historical mandate of promoting people-centred development.

Women

FCS is dedicated to fostering gender equality and empowering women and girls in Tanzania. Our gender strategy targets three key areas: Women’s Economic Empowerment, Gender-Based Violence, and Civic Engagement These initiatives align with national frameworks like the NPA-VAWC, TGEP, and the National Strategy on Gender and Climate Change.

• Women’s Economic Empowerment - Our focus on Women’s Economic Empowerment aims to address economic disparities and achieve gender equality. Women often face barriers to accessing resources, participating in decision-making, and benefiting from economic opportunities. According to the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS), only 4.2% of women own land alone, and 0.1% jointly own land with their husbands, highlighting the significant gender gap in resource ownership. FCS aims to enhance women’s financial independence and capacity to contribute to the economy.

• Women’s Civic Engagement - Our strategy on civic engagement for women recognizes the critical need for women’s active engagement in leadership and decision-making roles to foster inclusive governance and sustainable development in Tanzania. Despite comprising half of the population as of the 2022 Census, women are significantly underrepresented in political spheres at both local and national levels. For instance, in 2020, only 26 women were elected to parliament out of 264 seats, and women accounted for just 9% of candidates for president, parliament, and councillorships. This disparity underscores the urgent need for strategic interventions to amplify women’s voices and ensure their substantive inclusion in political leadership roles.

• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) - Our focus on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) addresses this severe violation of human rights and a major barrier to gender equality. In Tanzania, GBV remains a significant challenge with profound societal implications. Statistics reveal that 40% of women aged 15-49 years have experienced physical violence, while 17% have endured sexual violence. Alarmingly, 44% of women in this age group have faced either physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. Despite increased attention from authorities, such as the adoption of National Plans of Action (NPAs) to end violence against women and children by both the Mainland and Zanzibar governments, efforts to combat GBV are hindered by challenges like inadequate oversight, weak institutional capacities, and limited infrastructure.

Youth

According to the National Youth Development Policy (NYDP) of 2007, youth are defined as individuals between the ages of 15 and 35, in line with the African Youth Charter. However, the UN defines youth as individuals between the ages of 15 and 24. Tanzania is home to one of the youngest populations globally, with a median age of 17. The 2022 Census reports that the population below 15 years is 42.8%, while the population between the ages of 15 and 35 is 34.5%.

This makes an estimated 70% of the entire population 35 and below. This demographic, while presenting immense, untapped potential for innovation, economic prosperity, and leadership, also brings unprecedented demands for access to basic services, enabling tools, and opportunities for young people to flourish. Two major areas of intervention under this strategy are economic empowerment and civic engagement.

• Youth Economic Empowerment - FCS works to understand, reduce, and eliminate barriers to youth economic empowerment in Tanzania with an end goal of creating an environment where youth can successfully transition to an independent adulthood, with all the skills, resources, and opportunities necessary to live productive and sustainable livelihoods. The strategic objective aims at facilitating inclusive youth economic empowerment by supporting young people to successfully transition to decent livelihoods and work. Investing in the capacity of young Tanzanians with foundational skills and capabilities needed to excel and thrive in the marketplace and the creation of an enabling environment to pursue safe decent work opportunities. FCS strategic interventions will prioritize practical, youth-interest and market-relevant skills while creating linkages to access resources, services and opportunities. With more than 60% of Tanzanians employed in the agriculture sector, the strategy puts an emphasis on supporting youth engagement in climate-smart agriculture, blue economy and emerging sectors such as the digital economy. Young Tanzanians will be prepared to harness the abundant resources and opportunities within their country and regionally, leading to the creation of sustainable, high-quality jobs and fostering economic empowerment.

• Youth Civic Engagement - This strategic objective is designed to leverage the invaluable lessons and expertise acquired from supporting youth movements and empowering young Tanzanians to aspire to and assume transformative roles within society by facilitating the self-mobilization of young individuals at the grassroots level, ensuring that their voices are heard, and their concerns are addressed. Central to the strategy’s success is the empowerment of young people with the requisite information, tools, and resources. When young people are equipped with knowledge, skills, and networks, they become empowered to make informed decisions, self-mobilize, and champion positive change within their communities. FCS seeks to establish self-sustaining mechanisms that ensure the continued empowerment and engagement of young people beyond the life of the strategy.

People with Disabilities (PWDs)

FCS is committed to enhancing the livelihoods of people with disabilities (PWDs) as a key focus of our strategic plan. Our goal is to promote social and economic inclusion by creating sustainable livelihood options for PWDs, empowering them to achieve economic independence and a better quality of life.

Our strategy focuses on two key areas:

• Economic Empowerment of PWDs - Our strategy prioritizes access to employment by ensuring compliance with the Persons with Disability 2010 Act, creating supportive work environments, and addressing knowledge gaps among employers. We will collaborate with private sector entities and other stakeholders to recognize and incentivize inclusive employers through a national-level accreditation framework. We will also promote PWD participation in public procurement, leveraging the Public Procurement Act (PPA) cap 410 (R.E 2022), which allocates 30% of annual procurement to PWDs. Additionally, we intend to work on barriers hindering PWDs’ access to financial resources and their access to Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET), with a critical focus on women with disabilities.

• Civic Engagement for PWDs - FCS is dedicated to advancing inclusive civic and democratic participation for PWDs in Tanzania, guided by the principles enshrined in Article 29 of the CRPD. Despite legal protections, PWDs face significant barriers that hinder their full participation in political and public life. Our strategy aims to address these challenges comprehensively by advocating for electoral reforms, enhancing accessibility, and creating pathways for PWDs to engage meaningfully in decision-making processes at all levels.