Assessment Of Implementation Of Gender Mainstreaming In The Workplace Of Non Governmental Organisations In Ilala Municipality, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Gender mainstreaming was endorsed as a global strategy for promoting gender equality in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995. Although the government of Tanzania has taken measures to mainstream gender in government institutions, such mainstreaming is little investigated in the workplaces of NGOs. This study was conducted in Ilala Municipality in Tanzania to assess implementation of gender mainstreaming in the workplace of NGOs. Cross-sectional research design was applied and data were collected through survey using a questionnaire from a sample of 60 staff of 30 NGOs. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) was also conducted. Descriptive statistics and Content Analysis (CA) were used for data analysis. The study findings revealed average (64.7%) availability of organizational policies and procedures for gender mainstreaming. Moreover, (86.7%) of respondents reported that their organizations had neither a gender focal points nor a gender department/unit and about (96.7%) of respondents reported that their organizations did not allocate funds for gender mainstreaming. Personnel were recognized to have positive attitudes on organizational culture towards gender mainstreaming. Sex disproportions was found in the organizational structures whereby the total number of male staff were 200 (54.5%) compared to 167 (45.5%) of female staff and the ratio of male and female constitute organizations‘ board of directors which make top decisions of the organizations were 104 (54.2%) for male compared to 88 (45.8%) of female. Generally, average level (63.9%) of implementation of gender mainstreaming in the workplace of NGOs was found to be a good progress though continuous efforts for effective implementation of gender mainstreaming are inevitable. Assessment of the effectiveness of Tanzania national policy on women development and gender is suggested to be conducted. The future study will provide empirical findings on reliability and validity of the policy and if it is needed to be re-examined.