Africa CSID Expands Efforts to Zanzibar: Supporting Gender Equality in Climate Adaptation through Zanzadapt Project

The Africa Centre for Sustainable and Inclusive Development (Africa CSID) is extending its work beyond Kenya, moving from conference rooms to on-the-ground community engagements. We are thrilled to announce our support for Community Forest Pemba (CFP) and Community Forest International (CFI) in advancing the Gender Equality and feminist approach within the Zanzibar Women’s Leadership in Adaptation (Zanzadapt) Project, funded by the Global Alliance Canada. Focused on nature-based climate adaptation, this project aims to promote equitable access to resources, empower women with skills for climate-resilient livelihoods, and foster a more inclusive society, with 80% of its target being women.

To deepen our collaboration, we recently held our first in-person meeting with the CFI and CFP teams at the Rural Innovation Centre in Pemba, where CFP’s offices are located, and also visited CFP Unguja. The meetings built on a series of virtual discussions and allowed us to further familiarize ourselves with the teams and project objectives.

In addition to working with CFP and CFI, we engaged in meaningful conversations with community representatives from Pemba and Unguja, including policymakers, women leaders, religious leaders, community leaders, youth representatives, CSO representatives, women’s groups, men’s groups, and media organizations, such as the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), which hosted us at their Zanzibar office.

These discussions were crucial for understanding the community context, gender equality challenges, and potential enablers. The discussions will help us make well-informed recommendations for effectively implementing the gender equality and feminist approach within Zanzadapt. Engaging closely with the community is a means towards developing well-aligned strategies to meet their needs and build on their strengths.

We look forward to ongoing engagement with CFP, CFI, the Zanzibar community, and all Zanzadapt stakeholders. We believe this project has the potential to bring about significant, positive changes within the community.