Call: Prioritise wellbeing of adolescents in national policies

Josephine Shula and Neema Gilbert present their avocado Associate Director for Gender Equality at UNICEF Headquarters, seedlings to Dr Lauren Rumble, (4th from the right), and the UNICEF Tanzania team. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- She said Unicef is committed to supporting the government and local communities to ensure adolescent girls receive the support needed to thrive.
Dar es Salaam. For Tanzania to continue making strides in promoting gender equality, particularly concerning the rights and well-being of adolescents, it is essential to prioritise their well-being in national policies, including the Vision 2050.
Unicef’s Associate Director for Gender Equality, Dr Lauren Rumble, said by including adolescent girls in economic and development policies, Tanzania can unlock the full potential of its young population, driving the country toward a prosperous future.
The election of East Africa’s first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, represents a significant milestone in gender equality, offering a model for other nations, she observed.
She said Unicef is committed to supporting the government and local communities to ensure adolescent girls receive the support needed to thrive.
“A critical factor in this progress is the leadership of Tanzania’s first female president. Her election sends a powerful message about the potential of women in leadership,” Dr Rumble said.
However, she emphasized that one female leader is not enough to ensure sustainable progress; it is crucial to invest in girls from an early age and create opportunities for them to become leaders.
Unicef recognises the importance of partnerships in advancing gender equality.
“The adolescent girl agenda has long been neglected, and addressing this requires collaboration among governments, international financial institutions, civil society organisations, and the private sector. Locally, girl-led organisations play a vital role in advocating for policy reforms and community change,” she said.
Tanzania’s investment in adolescent girls goes beyond education and health, focusing on economic empowerment.
Programmes aimed at equipping girls with skills for the workforce, such as agriculture and entrepreneurship training, have allowed young women to build thriving businesses.
For example, these programmes teach girls how to grow avocados, enabling them to escape child marriage and contribute to their families’ economies. These initiatives receive support from Tanzania’s national budget, which has increasingly prioritized the needs of adolescent girls and women.
Continued support is essential to achieving the country’s Vision 2050 of becoming a middle-income nation. To make this vision a reality, it is crucial to invest in girls’ education, skills, and opportunities.
Dr Rumble noted the importance of several reforms transforming the lives of girls and women in Tanzania.
These include the expansion of childcare centres, the implementation of early childhood development programmes, and educational initiatives aimed at ensuring that girls—particularly those who have missed school— have access to quality education.
Additionally, Unicef has witnessed the introduction of social protection schemes designed to alleviate poverty and promote economic empowerment for girls.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to improve the lives of girls and women in Tanzania.
During her five-day mission in Tanzania, Dr Rumble visited Dar es Salaam and Songwe regions to observe community-led efforts addressing adolescentgirls’ issues. She noted that Unicef has played a vital role in supporting these initiatives.
For instance, Tanzania’s back-to-school policy for adolescent mothers allows girls who have dropped out due to early pregnancies to continue their education. Furthermore, the IPOSA programmes provides specialised healthcare services to adolescent girls.
One notable health initiative is the rollout of the HPV vaccine, which helps prevent cervical cancer, a leading cause of death among women in the region.
This programme not only provides the vaccine but also offers additional services such as nutrition support and HIV counselling, presenting a holistic approach to adolescent girls’ health.