Implementing Policy Against Sextortion in Tanzania: A Follow-Up Study

Summary

The EBA Working Paper Series constitutes shorter overviews, surveys, mappings, and analyses that have been undertaken to bring about discussion and advance knowledge of a particular topic. Working Papers are not subject to any formal approval process by the Expert Group. Just as in the EBA reports, authors are solely responsible for the content, conclusions, and recommendations.

In 2020, EBA published the report “Sextortion: Corruption and Gender-Based Violence” (2020:06), which developed the definition of sextortion, summarized existing knowledge, and presented case studies of sextortion in Tanzania and Colombia. Since then, the recognition of the prevalence of sextortion – the abuse of power and position in exchange for sex – as well as of the need to address it in and through development cooperation have increased. Yet, knowledge of how to adequately link agendas on anti-corruption and gender-based violence, increase awareness, and promote and successfully implement sextortion policy remains limited.

Against this background, EBA decided to publish this working paper, written by Åsa Eldén and Elin Bjarnegård, which follows up the implementation of recent policy against sextortion in Tanzania. Tanzania is one of few countries where the concept of sextortion is well-known and sexual corruption is criminalized. Through a case study of the work of one of Sida’s partner organizations, Karibu Tanzania Organization (KTO), and its collaboration with state authorities to combat sextortion in Tanzanian folk development colleges, the working paper contributes with new insights regarding sextortion policy implementation. Importantly, it highlights challenges with regard to reporting and allocation of responsibility and provides recommendations to organizations working against sextortion.