KAGERA UP IN ARMS AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Tanzania... on Friday joined the rest of the world to observe the International Women's Day marked in Mwanza city at the national level. In particular, millions of Tanzanian women from all walks of life joined their counterparts globally to mark the event.
Mr Massawe appealed to people to collectively fight against outdated laws, customs and practices that conspire to keep millions of women in society's 'backyard' and impinge on most of their constitutionally guaranteed rights,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 various other forms of discrimination.
"We must come together to find a consensus which will bring us closer to keeping women and girls safe and free from violence or threats of violence," he said.He 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 of schools.
He challenged them to emulate Prof Anna Tibaijuka, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Developments, 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," he said.
Explaining the magnitude of the problem, Mr Massawe said millions of women and girls are subject to all forms of violence including rape, partner's violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage and sexual violence, adding that all these forms of abuses leave the victims in a prolonged psychological trauma.
This year's International Women's Day coincided with the United Nations on-going meeting in New York that includes, among other things, a discussion on the Status of Women, which this year focuses on addressing violence against women.
For many decades women and girls in Kagera Region were discriminated against being denied equal education opportunities, thinking that the right place for a woman was in the kitchen.
Also, outdated traditions denied women the right to have access to nutritious foods like chicken meat, eggs or 'Senene.' The practice, however, has gradually been eliminated.
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