Local Partner: Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC)
Background and objective: Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) is still a major challenge in Tanzania as evidenced by high levels of maternal mortality, adolescent births, intimate partner violence, early marriages, female school drop outs due to pregnancy among other indicators. Being both the citizens of a country that undermines pastoralist way of life and members of a deeply patriarchal community, the health of pastoralist women is particularly at risk. Low socio-economic status, long distance to health facilities, rough remote roads, understaffed and poorly resourced health facilities and cultural barriers (males’ decision in women’s health, harmful cultural practices, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) topics being considered taboo and the language barrier) are some notable factors that compromise the access to and the quality of SRH products in the district .This project will address these SRH inequities by; supporting 15 previously trained Community Health Workers (CHW) reach out to more community members, facilitating community sensitization and education forums on SRH, conducting medical camps with the District Medical Office and providing youth friendly SRH education in 10 secondary schools across the district. It aims to increase knowledge on SRH issues and uptake of SRH services amongst 3,000 women, men and youth in Ngorongoro district. This education will also include, dangers of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), treatment of STDs, maternal and child health, access and make use of the main hospital serving the District, obstetric and genealogical healthcare and access to family planning methods amongst pastoralist women in the Ngorongoro district among others.
Local partner information: PWC was founded in 1997 by ten Maasai women, mostly widows struggling to make ends meet, under a sacred Oseki tree in Loliondo, Ngorongoro District. PWC currently serves Ngorongoro, Longido and Monduli districts to address women’s marginalisation in patriarchal Maasai culture and enhance their quality of life, as well as addressing the poverty Maasai face by encouraging them to become self-reliant and to take control over their own development.
Their programmes focus on three key areas to address the root causes and effects of gender based social injustice and oppression; Education: Breaking the cycle of disempowerment, poverty and gender inequities within the Maasai community by providing children, especially girls with quality education access and support, Women Economic Empowerment ; Educating and empowering Maasai women to realize, advocate for and exercise their rights and participate in decision making in their communities.
