Gender Activists Assess 2024/2025 Budget with Gender Lens

Gender and Development Activists, convened under the auspices of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), have offered insights into the recently ratified budget for the fiscal year 2024/2025. Commending the Government's responsiveness, they particularly acknowledged the adjustment of the allocation from 33 percent to 40 percent in the pension calculator, anticipating significant relief for retirees.

Addressing stakeholders on June 13, 2024, at a gathering in Dar es Salaam, organized by TGNP-Network to scrutinize the approved budget, TGNP's Executive Director, Lilian Liundi, underscored the strides made while highlighting persistent challenges.

Liundi articulated a collective aspiration for inclusive development projects, notably the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and hydroelectric dam initiatives. Emphasizing their potential to foster economic empowerment, she advocated for equitable access, particularly among marginalized demographics, facilitating produce transportation and enhancing economic prospects.

"In the discourse on economic reform, it is imperative to ensure the meaningful inclusion of marginalized groups—those disadvantaged by circumstance: women, impoverished men, and youth—enabling them to leverage efficient transportation and propel economic advancement," articulated Lilian.

She expressed optimism about the transformative impact of improved electricity access, envisioning heightened economic agency for women and youth, recognizing electricity as a pivotal driver of economic growth.

Lilian urged for rigorous evaluation of invested resources, acknowledging the burgeoning national debt and advocating for tangible benefits accruing to the nation.

Janeth Mawinza, representing Women in Development Efforts (WAJIK), lamented the budget's failure to fully incorporate recommended gender-sensitive measures and targeted interventions, suggesting a need for deeper deliberations on educational policies to ensure equitable access, particularly envisioning the realization of free education without financial burdens on children.

Conversely, Gender Affairs Advocate Mophat Mapunda lauded the reinstatement of land and building taxes to local government authorities, anticipating augmented revenue streams to spur local development initiatives.