Violence Against Women
Source: Tanzania Daily News
RESIDENTS in Kagera Region have been urged to take a holistic approach to fight against gender imbalance and gender based violence by utilizing the Police Gender Unit.
The In-charge of the Gender Unit at the Kagera Regional Police Commander's office, Ms Betrida Minga, told the 'Sunday News' in an interview that incidents of gender violence were on increase calling for joint effort to fight the evil.
She said during 2012/13 a total of 129 gender related incidents were recorded including rape, school pregnancies.
She cautioned people to avoid taking the law into their own hands. Instead they should report suspects to nearby police stations, for necessary action.
Ms Minga appealed to the residents to collectively fight outdated laws, customs and practices that conspire to keep millions of women in society's 'backyard' and impinge on most of their constitutionally guaranteed rights while they also contend with other forms of discrimination.
"We must come together to find an agreed consensus which will bring us closer to keeping women and girls safe and free from violence or threats of violence," she said.
She urged the residents to give equal chances to girls by taking them to school and to ensure they do not get pregnant and drop out.
"If God gives her life a girl could live up to 70 years or above and benefit the whole nation," he said.
She challenged them to emulate Professor Anna Tibaijuka, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro, the former UN Assistant Secretary General and Speaker Anne Makinda, just to mention a few.
"Gender based violence, remains a major health and human rights concern and no human development can be achieved as long as women and girls continue to suffer from violence or live in fear of it," she said.
Explaining the magnitude of the problem, Ms Minga said millions of women and girls are subject to all forms of violence including; rape, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage and sexual violence, adding that all these forms of abuses leave the victims in a prolonged psychological pain.