Empowering Women: The Heart of conservation efforts in Tanzania

This article was published in The EastAfrican March 30 - April 5, 2024: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke

A transformative women-led movement is underway amongst communities in Tanzania. Women are even taking a more proactive role in ensuring they generate livelihoods for their families while protecting the environment.

These women are not just driving change but are also transforming their communities and nature across the country. From managing marine and fisheries resources to tapping into tourism opportunities, they are transforming the fortunes of their communities. They are ambassadors for environment conservation and change-makers within their families and communities.

A unique partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Mwambao Coastal Community Network Tanzania , the Pangani District Council (Tanzania), and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries is empowering women through a suite of gender integration intrventions that are helping improve their participation in coastal community-led conservation and development. Fisheries is an important entry point and opportunity for women’s empowerment.

In places like Tumbe (Pemba Island) and Bweni (Pangani), 450 community members, with 315 being women, have embraced co-management of ocean spaces. The MKUBA ‘Mfuko wa Kutunza Bahari’ or ‘fund for protecting the ocean’, is a micro eco-credit loan pioneered and implemented through Mwambao Coastal Community Network (Tanzania). MKUBA is a tool enabling members to access small loans and recieve training on establishing and running small businesses. It comes with eco-compliance where members join in conservation initiatives and support the locally agreed management plan. MKUBA members form a caucus for conservation support in the village. MKUBA is a great financial tool helping empower women and improve fishery management outcomes in the Zanzibar Islands and Tanga. Women are now leading conservation interventions in marine and fisheries conservation, ensuring that the coastal and fisheries resources are sustainably managed and preserved for their communities.

Additionally, March 2024 marked a significant milestone, as 105 community members, mostly women, graduated from a Leadership and Management Programme (LAMP) training course tailored for coastal fishing communities. The LAMP training is designed to foster gender equality in conservation and community development. Through a tailored and engaging capacity-building approach, LAMP equips participants with the leadership skills necessary to navigate and thrive in their roles, assert their human rights, steward natural resources, and secure sustainable livelihoods. Hailing from places like Pangani and Pemba Island, these women are showcasing the positive impact of gender-responsive capacity-building in advancing sustainable fisheries and marine conservation. Their journey from learners to community leaders highlights the critical role targeted gender integration interventions play in advancing sustainable fisheries, gender equality, and women’s empowerment in the blue economy space.

In the same coastal regions of Pemba and Unguja Islands in Zanzibar, another significant shift is underway through restorative seaweed farming. This unique intervention demonstrates that aquaculture can indeed be nature-positive. More than 600 seaweed farmers, about 85% of whom are women, have transitioned from traditional methods to seaweed best farming practices, including the adoption of Double-Made-Loop (DML) system. The shift has been inspired by the need to improve their yields while reducing the negative impact on coastal habitats for future generations. Trained on modern farming practices, these women are not just farmers but also guardians of the ocean, showcasing the power of sustainable seaweed aquaculture. Access to two transport boats from TNC, soon to be handed over to Muungoni (Unguja Island) and Tumbe (Pemba Island) seaweed farmers, will enable the women fishers and farmers to improve their access and control over their fisheries resources, leading to better household income, support and sea safety.

On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the Tuungane Project that is run by TNC and partners, is integrating fisheries conservation, agriculture, and sustainable livelihoods. By promoting co-management of fisheries and enhancing farming practices, the project is nurturing sustainable livelihoods. It aims to establish or strengthen co-management of fisheries to conserve fish reserves covering 300 hectares of nearshore water, improve soil health and reduce lake sedimentation from 100 hectares of watershed lands, while creating new opportunities for alternative livelihood projects and long-term funding for conservation.

The initiative also addresses the unique challenges faced by girls in accessing education and healthcare, including provision of boarding facilities and other amenities, significantly impacting their lives and futures. Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Clubs have also been formed in schools in Tanganyika and Uvinza Districts, to arm schoolgirls with knowledge on conservation and reproductive health. This has translated into improved academic performance with more girls joining tertiary institutions. There are also more girls completing secondary schools.

Elsewhere, the Randilen Enaboishu Women Trading Centre stands as a vibrant hub of economic and cultural activity. Here, women and youth engage with tourism, sharing storing their rich heritage while forging sustainable livelihoods from the beautiful products that they create. The centre that is supported by TNC and their partners OIKOS, is more than a marketplace; it is a celebration of culture and conservation, where every beadwork, dance, and traditional craft tells a story of resilience and empowerment. These are not just stories of conservation and sustainable development from Tanzania. They are tales of empowerment, resilience, and hope, led by women committed to shaping a better future for their communities and the environment. Their efforts highlight the vital role of women in conservation, proving that when women thrive, nature flourishes. These gender integration interventions align with the priorities of The United Republic of Tanzania, which include the importance of attaining gender equality and empowering women in all socio-economic areas.

Grace Augostino Bendera picking cardamon in Mbomole Village near the Amani Forest Nature Reserve. The Tanga Water Fund aims to promote catchment conservation and sustainable water use among stakeholders. Agroforesty and soil conservation are some of the solutions to preserve the Zigi River catchment for downstream water users.

In 2019, The Nature Conservancy made a significant investment in education for girls in western Tanzania by funding a dormitory at Lagosa Secondary School, located within the Tuungane Project zone. Educating girls has been shown to protect natural resources and improve conservation outcomes.