Tanzania: Turn Women's Peace Agenda Into Action, MPs Told

What the report says

Parliamentarians in the Great Lakes Region have been urged to move beyond policy commitments and ensure governments take practical steps to advance women’s participation in peacebuilding, security and decision-making. The appeal was made in Dar es Salaam during the Women Parliamentary Conference of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, where African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security Liberata Mulamula addressed lawmakers on the second day of the event.

Mulamula said the region already has policies, legal tools and frameworks supporting the women, peace and security agenda, but that implementation, funding and accountability remain weak. She called on parliaments to use their budget and oversight powers to monitor national action plans, require regular progress reports and press governments to explain how resources are being used.

She also warned about technology-facilitated abuse targeting women in politics, arguing that harassment online can discourage women from public life. She urged legislators and ministries to strengthen protection measures and use parliamentary diplomacy to promote dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution.

The discussion also included contributions from Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, who said women in conflict-affected areas need economic support, recovery programmes and reintegration assistance. In the same forum, Tanzanian MP Dr Zeyana Abdallah Hamid said Tanzania has made gains in women’s political representation, with women holding more than 39 percent of parliamentary seats.