Tanzania Media Women's Association

The Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA), also known in Kiswahili as Chama cha Wanahabari Wanawake Tanzania (CHAWAHATA), is a Tanzanian nonprofit, nongovernmental organization focused on women's rights, children's rights, gender equality, and public-interest journalism. It is headquartered in Dar es Salaam and has also maintained an office in Zanzibar. The organization emerged from the work of female journalists who began bringing women's concerns into radio broadcasting in 1979. Their subjects included pregnancy among schoolgirls, violence against women, and other community issues that received limited attention in mainstream media. After the journalists' initial efforts became dispersed, they reunited in 1986 to establish a formal association, which was registered on November 17, 1987. TAMWA's formation took place during a broader expansion of autonomous women's rights organizations in Africa around the 1985 United Nations World Conference on Women in Nairobi. Its early institutional purpose was closely connected to the position of women in Tanzania's media industry: the association sought to create more opportunities for female journalists and challenge gender discrimination in newsrooms. During the drafting of its constitution, however, its remit widened. TAMWA became an advocacy and public-education organization concerned not only with journalism employment but also with informing women about their rights and pressing for improvements in women's status nationally. One of its earliest communication projects was Sauti ya Siti, a monthly Kiswahili newsletter named after the renowned singer Siti Binti Saad. The publication was designed to give Tanzanian women a public voice and place women's concerns before policymakers and other stakeholders. The newsletter began appearing in March 1988 and had produced 39 issues by 2016. TAMWA also produced explanatory material about registering nongovernmental organizations, helping readers understand how civic organizations could be formed to serve the public. The association has used journalism as both a reporting practice and an advocacy instrument. Its later communications approach, described by TAMWA as “Bang style journalism,” distributed educational and rights-based messages through newspapers, billboards, calendars, posters, radio, and television. Between 2003 and 2007, it produced approximately 50,000 posters annually addressing subjects such as women's leadership, female genital mutilation, and sexual violence. Its work has also included advocacy around domestic violence, gender-based violence, health, hygiene, poverty, governance, and constitutional reform. TAMWA established a crisis center in Dar es Salaam in 1990 to support people affected by domestic violence. The center assisted 787 clients in 2003 and later developed into the independent Crisis Resolving Center in 2007. In 2000, TAMWA launched a breast and cervical cancer awareness campaign. It subsequently broadened its health advocacy to include sanitation and hygiene in primary schools. The organization has also encouraged women to seek election to Tanzania's National Assembly and urged political parties to nominate more women candidates. Its advocacy was associated in published commentary with increases in the number of women candidates in the 1995 and 2005 parliamentary elections. From 2009 to 2014, TAMWA's strategic priorities included gender-based violence, good governance, gender equality, poverty, and health. It also participated in efforts to ensure that women's concerns were reflected in the preparation of Tanzania's 2014 constitutional draft. Membership has been associated with professional journalism qualifications; in 2012, the organization was reported to have more than 100 members working in electronic and print media. Members meet at an annual General Meeting, held each March, to determine the association's future direction.

TAMWA was created by Tanzanian female journalists who had been working since 1979 to bring women's concerns into radio and other public media. Their broadcasts discussed issues including adolescent pregnancy, violence against women, and local social problems. The journalists later separated into different professional activities but reunited in 1986 to establish a formal association. Fatma Alloo, whose experience of the Uganda Media Women Organization helped inspire the initiative, became the first chairperson, while Halima Shariff served as the first Secretary General. TAMWA was formally registered on November 17, 1987. The association belonged to a wider generation of autonomous African women's organizations that developed around the 1985 World Conference on Women in Nairobi. Although it initially emphasized increasing opportunities for women journalists and combating gender discrimination in Tanzanian newsrooms, its constitutional development expanded the organization into a broader women's-rights body. TAMWA began educating women about their rights, publishing information, and advocating on national policy questions. In March 1988, it began publishing Sauti ya Siti, a Kiswahili monthly newsletter named for the singer Siti Binti Saad. The publication sought to make women's experiences visible to public officials and other influential audiences. By 2016, 39 issues had been published. TAMWA also issued a Kiswahili guide explaining how to register nongovernmental organizations, supporting wider civic participation. The organization developed a distinctive advocacy model that it called “Bang style journalism.” This approach used journalistic and mass-communication channels to publicize social problems and promote behavioral and policy change. Outputs included newspaper features, billboards, calendars, posters, radio segments, and television programming. From 2003 through 2007, the organization produced about 50,000 posters each year on themes including women in leadership, female genital mutilation, and sexual violence. TAMWA's service and advocacy work expanded during the 1990s and 2000s. It opened a crisis center in Dar es Salaam in 1990 for people affected by domestic violence. The center assisted 787 clients in 2003 and eventually became the separate Crisis Resolving Center in 2007. In 1997, TAMWA and FemAct organized a gender-violence symposium for members of the Tanzanian Parliament in Dodoma. In 2000, TAMWA initiated a breast and cervical cancer awareness campaign and later included school sanitation and hygiene within its health advocacy. Political participation became another important area. TAMWA encouraged women to stand for election to the National Assembly and pressed political parties to nominate more women. Its work was cited as contributing to increases in the number of female parliamentary candidates in 1995 and 2005. The association also produced materials about domestic violence, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, and other harmful practices. Between 2009 and 2014, its stated strategic concerns were gender-based violence, good governance, gender equality, poverty, and health. During the preparation of Tanzania's 2014 constitutional draft, it worked to ensure that women's issues were incorporated into the constitutional process. TAMWA has maintained a professional membership base connected to journalism. Members are required to hold a journalism diploma, and the organization was reported in 2012 to have more than 100 journalists working in electronic and print media. Its annual General Meeting, held each March, provides a formal mechanism for members to determine organizational priorities. The association's continuing identity is built around the use of media to amplify women's voices while linking reporting and public education to direct advocacy and rights-based support.

• 2016

  Sauti ya Siti reaches 39 issues

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The newsletter was reported to have published 39 issues by 2016.

• 2014

  Constitutional advocacy

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  TAMWA worked to include women's issues in the preparation of Tanzania's 2014 constitutional draft.

• 2009

  Five-year strategic focus begins

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  TAMWA's 2009–2014 strategic priorities centered on gender-based violence, good governance, gender equality, poverty, and health.

• 2007

  Crisis center becomes independent organization

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The domestic-violence crisis center developed into the independent Crisis Resolving Center.

• 2000

  Breast and cervical cancer awareness campaign

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The organization launched a public campaign addressing breast and cervical cancer awareness.

• 1997

  Parliamentary gender-violence symposium

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  TAMWA worked with FemAct to organize a symposium on gender violence for Tanzanian parliamentarians in Dodoma.

• 1990

  Dar es Salaam crisis center opens

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  TAMWA established a crisis center to provide assistance to people affected by domestic violence.

• 1988

  Sauti ya Siti begins publication

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  TAMWA launched its Kiswahili monthly newsletter Sauti ya Siti to provide a public platform for Tanzanian women's concerns.

• 1987

  TAMWA is registered

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association was formally registered in Tanzania on November 17, 1987.

• 1986

  Journalists reunite to form a formal association

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The journalists who had previously worked on women's issues returned together to develop the organization that became TAMWA.

• 1979

  Female journalists begin advocacy broadcasts

  [1]Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org

  A group of Tanzanian female journalists began using radio broadcasts to highlight women's issues, including pregnancy among schoolgirls and violence against women.

A women-led Tanzanian media and advocacy organization that combines journalism, public education, civic participation, and rights-based services to address gender inequality and violence.

• Newsletter · 1988

  Sauti ya Siti

  A Kiswahili monthly newsletter launched in 1988 and named after singer Siti Binti Saad. It was intended to make Tanzanian women's experiences and demands visible to public officials, policymakers, and wider society. The publication had produced 39 issues by 2016.

• Public-interest media and advocacy

  Bang style journalism

  TAMWA's term for a communications approach that combines journalism with direct public advocacy. It distributes educational messages through newspapers, radio, television, billboards, calendars, posters, and other media, addressing topics such as gender-based violence, women's leadership, female genital mutilation, and health.

• Crisis support service · 1990

  Domestic-violence crisis center

  A Dar es Salaam support center founded in 1990 to assist people affected by domestic violence. It served hundreds of clients, including 787 clients in 2003, before evolving into the independent Crisis Resolving Center in 2007.

• 2009Gender equality and rights advocacy strategy

  Tanzania · Zanzibar

  TAMWA's 2009–2014 strategy organized its work around gender-based violence, good governance, gender equality, poverty, and health, combining media advocacy with civic engagement.

  Source
• 2003Bang style journalism poster campaign

  Tanzania

  From 2003 to 2007, TAMWA used large-scale poster production and related media to communicate messages about women in leadership, female genital mutilation, sexual violence, and other rights concerns. The organization produced approximately 50,000 posters per year during this period.

  Source
• 2000Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign

  Tanzania

  TAMWA launched a public-awareness initiative focused on breast and cervical cancer, forming part of its broader health-rights advocacy.

  Source

• 2007

  Crisis-support service transitions to an independent organizationStrategy

  Background

  TAMWA's domestic-violence crisis center had developed into a distinct service organization after several years of operation.

  Action taken

  The center evolved into the independent Crisis Resolving Center.

  Aftermath

  The transition separated the crisis-support function from TAMWA's broader media and advocacy work.

  Source

1. 1Tanzania Media Women's Associationen.wikipedia.org