LSF lay down five year strategy plan for legal aid in Tanzania
LSF’s CEO Lulu Ng’wanakilala (left) during the launching of five-year strategic plan for 2022-2026. PHOTO | COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. The Legal Services Facility (LSF), has launched a five-year strategic plan for 2022-2026 that will facilitate accessibility of quality legal aid services to the marginalized communities in particular women in both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The non-governmental organization says the new plan will also enhance a conducive environment for sustainable access to justice; and Improving Institutional development and sustainability of the legal aid sector.
Speaking during the launch over the weekend LSF’s CEO Lulu Ng’wanakilala said the plan will contribute to the fulfilment of SDG 16 which aims at ensuring justice for all and SDG 5 which is intended to realize gender equality and improve the welfare of women and girls.
“The plan will also marry into our national 2020-2025 development agenda, good governance efforts and the National Plan of Action to End Violence against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC), while fixating on poverty eradication and galvanizing the nation towards middle income economy status,” she said.
Ng’wanakilala said the organization intends to expand implementation justice program and increase reach to sidelined groups everywhere helping them solve their access to justice challenges, and ultimately facilitate the formulation of better policies and laws that will realize equality and inclusiveness
The Registrar of Non-Governmental Organizations Vickiness Mayao commended LSF on the new plan saying it provides solid evidence that the organization’s Access to Justice Program will continue, and that in some way the Government would also benefit from its implementation.
“LSF has also designed a monitoring and reporting tool for this plan, and we will, in addition to all that, collaborate with them to work towards amendments to the women and Gender Development Policy, 2000 which when complete will protect the rights and interests of women,” she said.
Mayao paid tribute to the contribution of more than 200 partners that enabled the implementation of the outgoing strategic plan which was funded by Danida, DfID and the EU, and called on other stakeholders including government institutions, development partners, the private sector and NGOs to coalesce around LSF’s efforts and be prepared to extend financial or material support whenever needed.
