Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance

Training for legal aid groups provides information on rights and legislation

Alicko Sengo

Governance is a cross-cutting priority that is integrated within all U.S. development assistance to Tanzania. Although it is one of the most politically stable and peaceful countries in Africa, institutionalized democracy and good governance in Tanzania are challenged by corruption and poor delivery of government services. With Threshold funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Tanzania made significant gains that paved the way for a $698 million Compact signed in 2008. USAID builds on these achievements by increasing the capacity of civil society to monitor accountability and transparency in local government by tracking public expenditures.

Governance and Rule of Law

USAID continues to expand public-expenditure tracking systems that promote transparency and support key institutions responsible for anticorruption enforcement.

In support of the rule of law and human rights, USAID supports improved justice through grassroots legal aid clinics. These efforts focus especially on women and other vulnerable groups. Legal aid services improve justice for women who remain unprotected from violent partners, widows of partners with HIV/AIDS who are left without an inheritance or denied custody of children, offenders who are incarcerated without access to legal defense, and HIV-positive individuals suffering from discrimination. In 2010, USAID trained over 370 legal aid providers and provided legal aid services for nearly 600 people. USAID also worked to build local capacity through a partnership with the Tanzania Network of Legal Aid Providers, an indigenous umbrella organization.

Civil Society

Sustainable democratic processes, greater domestic accountability among democratic institutions, and people-centered policy making furthers a healthy civil society in Tanzania. USAID develops the capacity and sustainability of civil society organizations to enhance political participation and demand for transparency and accountability in the allocation and use of public resources. These organizations include networks of women, youth and vulnerable populations. Several USAID-supported civil society organizations are taking advantage of their new skills to secure additional funding from new sources.