WILDAF Coordinator Advocate Anna KulayaBy Rose Ngunangwa
Gender activists in the country have reiterated their commitment to form an inclusive technical task force to consolidate women’s priorities in Tanzania’s constitutional reform process.
They have also resolved to develop a Women’s Constitutional Review Law Reform Model while conducting a baseline survey to assess citizens’ understanding of the constitutional reform process.
The commitment was made in Dar es Salaam midweek during a follow-up meeting aimed at strengthening women’s collective voice and influence in Tanzania’s constitutional reform process. The meeting was conducted by Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), Tanzania Chapter.
The meeting further resolved to undertake capacity-building initiatives and implement community awareness campaigns on constitutional matters, reaching people from street, hamlet and village levels to urban areas.
Other resolutions included coordinating media engagement through community radio, digital platforms, mainstream newspapers, artificial intelligence (AI), and television journalists to raise public awareness of constitutional affairs.
During the process, stakeholders will draw lessons from the Warioba Draft and the Proposed Constitution, as well as from previous constitutional reform processes, while incorporating emerging priorities.
Speaking during the session, Dr. Victoria Lihiru described the law-making process as the backbone of constitutional review, as it is where the rules of the game are established.
Commenting on the composition of constitutional commissions, Dr. Lihiru called on gender activists to assess not only the number of women participating, but also their positions and leadership roles.
“It is not enough to be a member. Leadership determines voice and influence, as wider representation alone does not automatically guarantee sufficient representation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other groups,” said Dr. Lihiru.
For her part, WILDAF Coordinator Advocate Anna Kulaya called on gender activists to support one another, build on the work of Women and Constitution, and retain the 12 women’s constitutional agendas as an important foundation while also addressing emerging issues.
The discussions also reviewed Tanzania’s constitutional history, including the 1962 Constitution, the 1964 Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the 1965 constitutional amendment that introduced a single-party system, the 1977 Constitution, and the constitutional review process that culminated in the Warioba Draft and the Proposed Constitution.
Tanzania’s current Constitution dates back to 1977 and will mark its 50th anniversary in 2027.
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