THE O'BRIEN SCHOOL women
OUR SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH
empowering women transforms lives, communities, and the whole world.
Women and girls make up over half the world's population, yet they are often more deeply impacted by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, poor health care, and economic crises than their male counterparts.
The O'Brien School for the Maasai recognizes that women and girls in Sanya Station village often face difficult challenges, such as discrimination, disempowerment, gender-based violence, lack of access to basic rights, and marginalization due to deeply entrenched social and gender norms in the community.
The O'Brien School also knows that gender equality is a basic human right.
achieving it will have an enormous impact on their lives, the lives of their family members, and their entire community.
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Therefore, OBSM strives to:
discrimination and GBV
OUR SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH
All women and girls have the right to live a life free of violence and discrimination.
Violence against women and girls is pervasive in Tanzania. Acts, including female genital mutilation/cutting, sexual and physical violence, emotional manipulation, and intimate partner violence, diminish girls' and women's ability to live healthy, productive lives. In addition to the physical, sexual, and mental consequences for them, violence against women and girls negatively affects families, the community, and the country at large.
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OBSM has strict zero-tolerance policies contributing to the prevention and response to violence against women and girls. These policies, in order to prevent unintended consequences, have been developed in conjunction with community members, social influencers, and the girls themselves.
We partner with the local government authorities, including the Gender and Child Desks at the local police stations, civil society organizations, and other institutions to advocate for ending violence, increase awareness of violence, and build referral networks within Hai District for women and girls who experience violence.
OBSM also promotes norms and behavior change, particularly of men and boys, and advocates for gender equality and women’s rights both in and out of the classroom.
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH OPPORTUNITY
OUR SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH
All women and girls have the right BE LEADERS, BE EDUCATED, AND BE EMPOWERED THROUGH ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
In Sanya Station village, and across all of Tanzania, women often do not hold leadership positions, or their participation is compromised. The society is hierarchical, and, the Maasai in particular, foster a patriarchal society. Girls often do not have female role models, nor are they encouraged to assume leadership roles and achieve higher education.
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OBSM believes women and girls, when empowered with an education and opportunity, are the strongest agents of change. They are proven leaders and contribute positively to their families and communities at higher rates than their male counterparts. By investing in women's empowerment, we pave the path towards gender equality and poverty reduction.
In addition to accepting equal numbers of boys and girls into the formal education system through our primary school, we offer nonformal education opportunities for select girls in vocational trades, such as tailoring and jewelry making. We also provide additional entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and skills-building activities for women who work in the OBSM businesses.
OBSM also promotes female leadership, by ensuring girls are represented as Class Leaders, and female students are also selected to be Head Girl and school leaders. In addition, women are always represented on our School Committee.
PROTECT RIGHTS & WElfare
OUR SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH
All women and girls have rightS, AND THOSE RIGHTS MUST BE PROTECTED BY US, THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS, AND THEMSELVES.
All villagers have rights, but unfortunately, the rights of women and girls are often violated. For example, although primary school is universal and compulsory, many girls often do not have the chance to attend school. Furthermore, many Maasai women cannot own land, let alone decide if and when she is to be married.
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OBSM engages the entire community to protect the rights and social welfare of the villagers. New pilot initiatives are beginning, including the development of school-based child rights clubs, a formal child protection system, and strategic partnerships to improve linkages and referrals to additional social, health, educational, and livelihoods support for our villagers.