International Women’s Day: Celebrating women and girls.

Beatrice Lagat ,Eldama Ravine, Kenya. Photo : George Kamau
Beatrice Lagat ,Eldama Ravine, Kenya. Photo : George Kamau
Women are a crucial pillar of our society, yet they are often overlooked in various aspects where their contributions are significant. From social and economic to financial and political spheres, the importance of women's rights cannot be overstated. With this understanding, we take advantage of March to celebrate women's achievements, acknowledge the challenges they face, and prioritize women's rights and gender equality.

 

Faith Wayua, the Gender Programme Officer at We Effect East Africa, during an International Women’s Day radio talk show on Spice FM Kenya. Photo: Catherine Waking’a

Our work is centered around adopting a gender-transformative approach that addresses and transforms the norms and structures that perpetuate inequalities. Gender equality goes beyond being a fundamental human right—it is also a prerequisite for sustainable development and crucial for eradicating poverty.

The team ( left) CT Muga and ( Right) Eric Latiff after the panel discussion on #EmbracingEquity. Photo: Catherine Waking’a

To commemorate International Women’s Day, we participated in radio conversations on Kenya’s Spice FM and Tanzania’s Mwangaza FM. The objective was to amplify our voice on embracing equity by tackling gender inequalities within food systems. Faith Mutuku, the Gender Program Officer, and Frank Ademba, Tanzania’s Country Manager, represented We Effect in both radio engagements.

Frank Ademba, We Effect Tanzania 🇹🇿 Country Manager at Mwangaza Fm, Dodoma.

We Effect East Africa reaffirms its commitment to promoting equity with a strong focus on women smallholder farmers. In Tanzania, women dominate the agricultural sector and actively engage in farming activities. They make significant contributions to the country’s food production, representing more than 80 percent of the agricultural labor force.

Despite being responsible for growing and preparing most of the world’s food, one in three women experiences food insecurity. We Effect works to ensure women’s right to food and focuses on strengthening the capacity of smallholder farmers, particularly women. We strive to help them establish and grow profitable organizations, support housing cooperatives, and advocate for women’s land rights.

In collaboration with our partners, we employ gender-transformative approaches that ensure equal participation and benefits for women and men in agricultural markets and rural economies, ultimately improving livelihoods.

We Effect recognizes that land is a critical resource for achieving gender equality. We continue to support cooperatives and farmer organizations that advocate for the land rights of smallholder farmers and indigenous peoples. Working alongside organizations specialized in land issues, We Effect assists members in exercising their tenure rights and strengthening their ability to negotiate and protect their interests.

Access to land will enhance women and youth empowerment and increase their participation in agriculture. Through these approaches, we raise awareness of women and youth’s right to own, manage, and control land for their economic well-being.

As a result, we have facilitated more than 60 women in the Njombe region in obtaining a Customary Certificate of Right of Occupancy (CCRO).

Our commitment lies in eradicating poverty, discrimination, inequalities, and vulnerabilities that hinder the potential of women and girls, men and boys in the communities we work with. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers that contribute to these inequalities, creating a more just and inclusive society.

Let us move forward in embracing diversity, promoting inclusiveness, and recognizing that everyone possesses unique qualities, needs, and experiences that deserve respect and value.

Let us embrace equity! Equity is not just a nice-to-have; it is a necessity.