Africa-Press – Tanzania. LEGAL Services Facility (LSF) and the Danish Embassy in Tanzania have signed a one-year agreement of 5bn/- aimed at supporting access to justice programme across the nation.
The fund, through DANIDA, was additional for 2020/21 fiscal year, focusing on improving the legal empowerment environment by building and strengthening capacity of organisations providing legal aid and paralegal services to vulnerable groups in the communities, especially women and children.
The Danish Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Mette Nørgaard Dissing-Spandet, said her country decided to commit additional funds to LSF in order to ensure access to justice in Tanzania is upheld.
“LSF and the Danish Embassy have been trusted partners for almost 10 years,” the Ambassador said Tuesday during the signing: “LSF has been doing a great job showing important results in access to justice within land disputes, matrimonial disputes, inheritance, child maintenance, and gender- based violence practices, especially for women and children – a Danish priority.”
The embassy believed that the support will facilitate better policies and laws that protect all Tanzanians.
“This funding is part of our focus on ensuring that all communities in Tanzania benefit from a legal system providing true rule of law that respects everyone regardless of age or gender,” she said.
LSF access to justice programme aims at building a sustainable foundation for legal aid services in Tanzania by reviewing various discriminative systems, policies and laws that hinder the social welfare and development of women and children in the communities with the view of improving access to justice systems in the country at all levels.
LSF Chief Executive Officer Lulu Ng’wanakilala commended DANIDA for their assistance and said she was happy for the additional funds.
“This funding will continue to facilitate access to free legal aid and paralegal services for those who need it the most across the country with more than 4000 paralegals,” Ms Ng’wanakilala said.
Last year, LSF managed to provide legal aid services to almost 100,000 individuals in different parts of Tanzania and Zanzibar, where 60 per cent were women while provided legal education to more than 6 million people.
“Out of all the reported cases to paralegals, almost 60 per cent were resolved,” Ms Ng’wanakilala said during the signing event.
The additional funds come on top of 10 years of support with some 65bn/- as well as an extra election grant on 720m/- to facilitate 31 LSF grantee organisations accredited by National Election Commission (NEC) to conduct voter’s education and election observation for the 2020 General Election.
