Source: Tanzania Daily News
THE Women's Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) Director, Ms Theodosia Muhulo has underscored the importance of joint efforts from all people in the society in fighting gender based violence, saying that without cooperation from the grassroots the problem would remain unsettled.

Ms Theodosia made the remark on Thursday in Dar es Salaam in a two-day seminar which brought together paralegal leaders across the country with aim to discuss various initiatives in eradicating all form of violence against women.

She said that the seminar was one of their plans to realize "Tunaweza" campaigns; the campaigns she said, were predetermined to denounce, combat and fight all forms of violence against women in their day to day life.

"The society needs to know that the campaign is not for WLAC, activists or Police Force themselves, but rather it is a task highly demanding solidarity - This is why we have introduced the campaign on violence against women to paralegal members from upcountry hoping that upon their return, they would help to advocate these efforts at grassroots level," she said.

Ms Theodosia added that the aim of the campaign was to build capacity for paralegal leaders on how to fight and stop the gender based violence in the society.She noted that the seminar would enable paralegal leaders to participate in writing a new constitution and push for incorporation of women's right in it constitution.

"Tunaweza" campaign Coordinator, Ms Jane Salomo said that the campaign was aimed at coming out with the way forward in fighting gender based violence which was on the increase in the country. The "tunaweza" campaign was launched on November, 2008 in Dar es Salaam during the 16 days of activism against gender violence campaign and later relaunched in Mwanza and Shinyanga in the lake zone.More than 70 paralegal leaders attended the seminar.

• Tanzania