Children’s Dignity Forum
Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) is a national NGO which aims to improve the dignity and human rights of children, especially girls, in Tanzania by placing children’s legal and human rights on the public agenda. FORWARD began its partnership with CDF in 2006 when it was a still a small children’s rights organisation. Initially, we worked with CDF to build their programme management and organisational capacity and helped to integrate girls’ rights issues and girls’ empowerment approaches in their programmes.
In 2009 we carried out PEER research into the status of child marriage in Tanzania and how it affects girls. Child marriage survivors were trained to reach out to their peers in their communities who had been directly affected by child marriage. The research sought to provide a platform for girls to be heard and to use their voices to inform efforts to end child marriage. Because of this research we set up a network of girls groups. The network is made up of local groups of child brides and child mothers and is a space where they can provide support and advice to each other.
FORWARD’s work with CDF put us at the forefront of safeguarding girls’ rights in Tanzania. In 2011 we established the Tanzania National Ending Child Marriage Network (TECMN), of which CDF is the chair. The network was established to link organisations working to defend the rights of children and girls to share knowledge and good practice on tackling child marriage and make ending the practice a priority in Tanzania.
UMATI
UMATI is a national Tanzanian organisation which provides sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, information and services in Tanzania. UMATI is CDF’s partner in the girls’ group network and they support their local girls’ club in Musoma. FORWARD also worked with the Mara branch of UMATI to increase their knowledge of women and girls’ rights and build their capacity to integrate gender based programmes.
Wadada Centre for Solution Focused Approach
Wadada Centre for Solution Focused Approach is a vibrant young women-led organisation founded in 2011 by the Youth Programme of Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization. They aim to empower young girls to advocate for their own rights to live free from sexual abuse and exploitation. The word “wadada” means ‘sisters for solidarity’.
