Tanzanian Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) - Tanzania
- Tanzania
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- Access to Legal Aid
- Access to Legal Aid
Quick information guide
The Tanzania Legal Act, 2017 recognises the right of access to legal aid and orients providers to:
- Carry out educational programmes in national or local languages on legal issues and procedures of concern to the community;
- Assist aided persons in the procedures to obtain necessary legal documents;
- Guide aided person to a proper forum or to access justice; and
- Advise the conflicting parties to seek amicable settlement or referring them to dispute settlement institutions
Why is legal aid important for women?
Research studies have shown that women in Tanzania are likely to suffer more when it comes to accessing and utilizing legal services compared to men simply because of:
- Vulnerability: Women are more vulnerable to oppression than men due to socio-economic characters
- Literacy: Majority of the women are illiterate; this becomes difficult for them to connect with legal aid and express themselves
- Income: Women are less paid compared to men what disadvantages them when it comes to affording paid legal services
- Cultural values: Some cultural practices have created in a woman a spirit of underestimation.
This makes it hard for women to fight for their rights.
Women Legal Aid Support Services in Tanzania
The National Strategy for Gender Development (NSGD) aims at guiding all stakeholders to work towards gender equality in a more harmonized manner.
Part four of the Tanzania Legal Aid Act of 2017 gives provisions for legal aid to eligible indent persons such as women and persons in lawful custody. Various NGOs have special programs to provide free legal aid services to needy women.
Tanzanian Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA)
| About TAWLA | Tanzania Women Lawyer Association (TAWLA) is a registered association with offices in Dodoma, Tanga, Arusha, Mwanza and a head office in Dar es Salaam. The association was formed primarily as a guild for women lawyers in Tanzania geared to promote the professionalism of the membership, cause to advance legal and constitutional rights of women. The aims and objectives of the organization are; to advocate for gender equality; promotion of human dignity and gender justice through policy, legal and institutional reforms, community action and media engagement. |
| Services Provided |
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| Requirements | TAWLA legal services are free for indigent needy women through its team of registered lawyers who works as volunteers |
| TAWLA Hotlines | From Monday – Friday accessible through:
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| Public Events | TAWLA holds annual meetings every May forth week. |
| Contact details | Tanzanian Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) E-mails: |