Diversity Initiative for Development (DID) Tanzania started as a movement in 2016. DID was established by a group of eight Tanzanians of different expertise (the majority being community development professionals) aiming to work with young women. By then, DID advocated for young women’s rights in various universities. The movement focused on gender discrimination and supported unprivileged girls and boys in the orphanage centres through capacity strengthening, service provision and mental health support through sports and fun activities at the centres. The ongoing challenges around gender equality, human rights violations and the challenge to young women’s fundamental rights and freedom inspired the movement to expand its capacity and engage different stakeholders to contribute to the cause. Since its establishment, DID has sought to ensure the fundamental rights and freedom of women and youth are respected and equally guaranteed without discrimination through the promotion of social welfare and policies favouring equal economic and political opportunity, improving the life of the youth and women by enhancing access to education opportunities, and promote legal and policy reforms.

The Undisrupted Voice project aims to contribute to gender equality by promoting personal economic freedoms for young women and protecting against all forms of aggression and sexism within the photography and music fields. The changes that the project seeks to see at the end include an increase in the number of young women in the photography and music field as part of paid economic activity by at least 10% from 2021 to the end of 2023. The overall goal is to have equal representation within the sector.

The activities that will be implemented in this project include organising a high-profile local symposium with faith leaders, decision-makers and policymakers in the field, arts and music council leaders and registration. Secondly, capacitate young women in photography aged 18 – 35 with the necessary skills.

• Awareness approach via campaign: The project intends to organise and document a series of local symposiums that bring together all the named actors above. Also, manage both offline and online campaigns against sexism and gender discrimination in the photography and music field.
• Learning and Amplification approach: A short film including emerging and start-up women in the photography and music industry aged 18 – 35 years, faith leaders, professional photographers, curators, and feminists will be produced.