With funding from the US Embassy Ambassadors Fund for HIV Relief, MUKIKUTE implemented NIWEZESHE Project focused on addressing the structural gender inequalities, stigma, and economic vulnerabilities that disproportionately affect adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), female sex workers (FSW), and other key and priority populations (KPs and PPs) living with HIV in Kigamboni municipality Tanzania.
By tackling harmful social norms, discrimination among duty bearers, law enforcers, and health care providers, and gaps in treatment literacy, the project strengthened an enabling environment for equitable access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment services. Through community mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and treatment literacy interventions, including U=U messaging and peer-led psychosocial support, the project improved retention in care, reduced stigma, and supported barrier-free access to quality HIV services, enabling beneficiaries to live with dignity and sustain lifelong treatment.
The project enhanced economic resilience among AGYW and people living with HIV (PLHIV) by integrating gender-responsive economic empowerment interventions with HIV care. By equipping beneficiaries with entrepreneurship, vocational, and financial management skills, the project increased income-generating opportunities, reduced economic dependency, and addressed structural drivers of HIV vulnerability.
