Gender equality in Arusha

A series of activities to mark Gender Week are planned in Arusha from 5-9 March. The week-long event coincides with the World International Women's Day on 8 March, and UNiTE to End Violence against Women, a campaign backed by the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, on 9 March.

Among the scheduled activities is a workshop to educate staff of the East African Community (EAC) at how best to mainstream gender in their programmes, on 5 March at the Snow Crest Hotel. Other activities including workshops and exhibitions, take place at the Arusha International Conference Centre and Police Officers' Mess.

On 8 March a procession has been planned from the city centre to Arusha Municipal Hall and there is a workshop on UNiTe Campaign to end violence against women and girls, on 9 March.

Kenyan runner and activist Tegla Loroupe is a special guest of Gender Week in Arusha. Known for her campaigns against violence towards women and children, Loroupe has helped to bring about peaceful resolutions to a number of warring factions in northern Kenya, Southern Sudan, north-eastern Uganda and Ethiopia.

Tanzania’s Youth Leadership Forum has organised a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro on 2 March for students and young activists from across the continent to discuss the problem of violence against women in Africa.

The Gender Week initiative is organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ), East African Sub-Regional Support Initiative (EASSI) and Arusha Municipality.