THE government has signed a $104m (257bn/-) grant and concessional loan agreement with the World Bank to support a key policy initiative aimed at advancing gender equality countrywide.

Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, the Finance minister, said at the signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam yesterday that key objectives include supporting community-based women’s groups.

Others are improving women’s business skills and market connections, increasing access to credit through revolving loan funds, and enhancing GBV response services, he said.

The project is expected to directly benefit around 319,850 women and indirectly impact an additional 399,000 individuals, including members of beneficiary households, he stated.

Aligned with the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (2021/22–2025/26), the Draft Development Vision 2050, and Tanzania's broader development agenda, the project places gender equality “at the heart of the country’s growth strategy,” the minister affirmed.

The project, titled ‘Together.’ is intended to demonstrate the government’s strong commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality, he said. 

It is meant to foster inclusive growth that ensures that no one is left behind, he said, highlighting that it comprises a $4m grant and a $100m concessional loan component.

The project is designed to increase women’s access to economic opportunities and strengthen the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and uplift response services in both parts of the union, he said. 

Nathan Belete, the World Bank country director, noted the significant challenges Tanzanian women face in taking up economic opportunities, citing a drop in the proportion of employed women from 79 percent in 2004-05 to 73 percent in 2015-16. 

Additionally, there is a 20-30 percent gender gap in agricultural productivity, as women entrepreneurs earn 46 percent less than men, he said, pointing at limited access to quality childcare and the persistence of GBV, despite some improvements in its overall frequency.

The “Togetherness’ project will focus on increasing economic opportunities for women and strengthening services for preventing and responding to GBV, addressing gender inequality by empowering women economically and challenging harmful gender norms that contribute to GBV.

Women’s role in building climate-resilient communities and recognizing their vital contributions in climate-sensitive sectors is also included in the design, in the project set to be implemented in a series of pilot districts.

Its key components include improving access to finance and economic opportunities for women through community-based models, strengthening GBV prevention and response services, innovations in quality childcare and digital systems alongside overall project management, monitoring and evaluation, he added.