Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA), in partnership with three non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has launched a project, titled, ‘Mwanamke Imara’ to address gender-based violence in the country.
It is understood that the USAID-funded project, which is aimed at ending all forms of violence and discrimination against young people in the East African country, will be implemented in three regions of Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, and Njombe.
Nearly half of Tanzanian women under the age of 50 have been physically or sexually assaulted, according to a 2016 Ministry of Health survey.
The survey of 13,376 households across Tanzania found one in three girls under 18 experiencing sexual violence.
With a view to ending this worrying practice in the East African nation, more than 400 police stations across Tanzania were equipped with Police Gender and Children’s Desks, including seven of Zanzibar’s 20 police stations.
It is understood that the gender desk initiative was first proposed in 2009 by the Tanzanian Police Female Network (TPFNet), a professional association formed in 2007 that aims to improve the way the police relate to women in the community.
The initiative gained financial and operational support from UNICEF and the European Union, and by 2012, there was a network of 417 desks in police stations across the country.
However, a report by NPR in 2018 noted that women and girls in Zanzibar who report these crimes to the police were often met with apathy, negligence, corruption, disdain, disbelief and even violence.
During the launch of the ‘Mwanamke Imara’ project, the Project Coordinator, Mary Richard, said the aim was to end all forms of violence in targeted regions through improving access to justice.
‘Women and young people need to be aware of their rights and all forms of violence and discrimination, have timely access to justice and empowered economically as well as actively participating in leadership and decision-making structure’, Daily News quoted her as saying.
The project will be implemented by TAWLA, Tanzania Network of Legal Aid Providers (TANLAP), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), and Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Community Organisation (KWIECO).
Each organisation, according to Richard, would use its niche and expertise to effectively implement the project.
Source: Daily News
Photo source: TAWLA Tanzania Women Lawyers Association
