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EMPOWERING YOUNG MOTHERS: BRIDGING GAPS IN TANZANIA’S RE-ENTRY POLICY

Msichana Initiative is committed to advocate for equitable education opportunities for all girls. In line with this mission, we are spotlighting a critical policy brief that addresses the challenges faced in implementing re-entry policy for girls in Tanzania who drop out of school due to pregnancy.

This brief, analyses the progress and challenges of the implementation of the re-entry program, a case study of Msichana Initiative’s “ARUDI SHULE” program implemented in Kongwa District, Dodoma region and Nzega district, Tabora region, in Tanzania. The program supports 400 girls who have dropped out for different reasons including pregnancy to re-enter the formal education system. the brief therefore, highlights the quality of support provided to re-admitted students including facilities and psychosocial support, the best practices and analyses resources allocated by the government to support this program.

While the revised Education and Training Policy (2023) aims to support young mothers’ return to formal education, significant obstacles hinder its full application. Cultural stigma, economic barriers, and a lack of supportive infrastructure—especially in rural areas—limit the policy’s impact. Schools often lack essential facilities like lactating rooms, and many teachers are not equipped with the psychosocial support training needed to assist re-admitted students effectively.

Tanzania has much to learn from regional counterparts such as Zambia and South Africa, which have implemented better-supported re-entry frameworks. To bridge this gap, the policy brief recommends targeted actions, including:

  1. Legislation of Re-entry policy into the Tanzania Education Act,1978
  2. Building teacher capacity for psychosocial support.
  3. Strengthening advocacy efforts to ensure resource allocation at national and local levels.

Successful implementation of this policy is essential to reducing dropout rates, improving gender equity in education, and advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Msichana Initiative believes that, empowering young mothers through education is a transformative step toward building a more inclusive and equitable society. Let us work together to turn this vision into reality.

Click this link to download: POLICY BRIEF IMPLEMENTATION OF RE-ENTRY POLICY REPORT