Girls May not Rule Yet, But they WILL: Girl Agenda 2025

Most girls in our communities were not born into opportunities they created them. This calls for a deep reflection, participation from the communities we serve should never be a buzzword, but a practice incorporated into all aspects of our work.

It was, therefore, a great pleasure to provide a diverse group of girls with a platform to share their insights with those in decision making positions. On the International Day of the Girl Child, on October 11th, through the Girl Agenda Forum 2025 it was an honour to host over 300 girls from all over Tanzania and provide a space through which they could speak up about the issues they find important.

This time around, the girls were placed at the centre sharing their stories, while government officials, stakeholders, and development partners made up the audience. The girls spoke about the issues they face in their everyday lives, ranging from grown men attempting to seduce them on their way to school, to managing their periods with dignity.

By placing the girls’ experiences at the centre, we learned a lot and were reminded that each generation has its own issues but finding solutions to those issues remains the top priority. We also engaged in an Oky Tanzania booth exhibition with more than 100 girls curious to learn about Menstrual health hygine.

Although girls should indeed run the world, they are first and foremost children. Recognizing the importance of learning from role models, this year’s event took a different approach. Our Guest of Honour was Georgina Magesa, a 13-year-old girl who is passionate about leadership, courageous, and an inspiration to her peers. She motivated other girls to dream big, study smart and choose the right friends.

Did you know that children have a right to be heard? It’s a non-negotiable human right. It is our responsibility as adults to provide girls with the tools and platforms to make their voices heard.

This year’s Girl Agenda event was guided by the theme: “I am a Girl, a Changemaker for the Tanzania We Want by 2050.” These girls have already established a great sense of balance from a young age knowing how to practice their right to play and their right to be heard at the same time.

It has been a joy sharing this journey with other conviners GLAMI Tanzania, WoteSawa Tanzania, C-Sema Tanzania, and the Msichana Initiative,Young Strong Mothers, Flaviana Matata Foundation. We are grateful for the collaboration with the Government of Tanzania, represented by the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, as well as the Irish Embassy, UNICEF Tanzania, UN Women, and media.

Looking forward for the next adventure of empowering million of Girls across Tanzania.

Asante!