deals with non-governmental organisations under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development. The Government has also established a full fledged Ministry of Empowerment and Planning that is responsible for issues related to economic empowerment and poverty reduction. There are also various financial institutions, which give loans to the above mentioned groups, such as Savings and Co-operative Societies, Pride Tanzania Limited, Smal-l, Medium Enterprises and Equal Opportunity for All Trust Fund. The activities of these financial institutions are regulated by the Bank of Tanzania Act, the Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 2006 and the Cooperative Societies Act CAP. 211 R.E. of 2002. The government has also adopted affirmative action measures so as to increase women participation in decision-making. The 14th Constitutional amendment increased the threshold of special seats for women. Article 66 (1) (b) of the Constitution provides for the number of women to be not less than thirty percent of the total number of parliamentary seats. According to the data compiled by the President's Office Diversity Unity, Public service Management, there is a considerable ii1crease in the number of women in the current Tanzanian Parliament. Out of 324 members of Parliament, 94 are women (1 ~- from constitue~cy +75 from women special seats). This is equivalent to 30 percent. The previous Parliament had 290, women members of parliament were 63, (16 from constituency and 47 women special seats) currently, there is a woman Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Furthermore, according to the Data compiled by the Inter Parliamentary Union in July 2006, Tanzania is among 3 top countries to have attained the SADC target of 30 percent women members of parliament. In addition, the Public Service Act, CAP. 298 R.E. 2002 provides for affirmative action in the public sector employment in order to increase the number of women employees in the public sector. The Government has also taken positive measures to provide necessary social ameniti es, such as education and health, to minority groups like the Hadzabe. These measures aim at 7