Tabora, the largest and most remote region of Tanzania, is home to more than 400,000 adolescent girls who experience low socio-economic status and lack of agency due to existing traditional gender and age-based norms that hinder their demand for SRH and nutrition services and perpetuate gender disparities. Gender-based discrimination and violence, including early and forced marriage of girls, transactional sex, misconceptions about the use of contraceptive methods, as well as myths and social norms related to certain foods to eat and/or avoid, are some of the cultural and gender beliefs reported by adolescents and their key influencers.

Sexual and reproductive health and nutrition are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Inadequate nutrition before, during and after pregnancy increases the risk of malnutrition for adolescent girls and contributes to poor pregnancy outcomes. This is of particular concern in Tabora where of girls aged 15-19 have already begun childbearing. Furthermore, the prevalence of anaemia among women a of reproductive age (15-49 years) is 34.5%, which is associated with maternal and perinatal mortality.   Gender-based violence is also rampant in the region, with 71% of married women aged 15-49 having experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence committed by their husband/partner, and 54.3% of women aged 15-49 reporting having experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

We will work alongside the Government of Tanzania and  EngenderHealth to tackle the existing structural, social and systemic barriers that prevent adolescents in Tabora from demanding and exercising their SRH and nutrition rights, with the ultimate outcome of increasing the equality and wellbeing of all adolescents to exercise their SRH and nutrition rights by addressing the issues related to sub-optimal nutrition status, gender based violence, early marriages and pregnancies.

Led by Nutrition International, the BRIGHT project will:

• Strengthen the capacity of key healthcare providers and teachers on provision of SRH and nutrition services.
• on the supply chain management of SRH and nutrition commodities.
• Provide technical and financial support for guidelines, curriculums and policy reviews that support safeguarding the wellbeing of adolescents.
• Collaborate with the local government authorities to renovate health facilities to increase privacy and confidentiality on adolescent services.
• Engage in dialogues with important gatekeepers and key influencers, including parents and local leaders, on harmful gender norms and address knowledge gaps, myths and misconceptions about adolescents’ access to SRH and nutrition.
• Utilize existing community-based structures to ensure timely and appropriate response to reported cases of gender-based violence and violence against children, and availability of corresponding support services to survivors.

We will also develop a BRIGHT Gender Equality Strategy, informed by a Gender, Youth and Human Rights Analysis conducted in four districts of Tabora in 2023, that will mainstream gender throughout the entire project as well as provide a comprehensive approach to address gender equality gaps and barriers and build on potential areas for the integration of gender equality considerations in the project’s interventions. Additionally, we will develop an environmental sustainability strategy which identifies the potential environment effects of the project. The strategy will also outline the mitigation measures that should be implemented to prevent or reduce adverse effects, as well as the positive opportunities that can be cultivated and seized in Tabora region.