Violence Against Women
Source: Tanzania Daily News
NETWORKING among women in villages has helped to intensify the campaign against Gender- Based Violence in some areas of Zanzibar. There is seriousness in controlling violation of the rights of children and women. Effective networking groups in some Zanzibar villages have helped to unearth many abuses such as rape and defilement of children.
"The culture of silence has been declining due to increased awareness. Many people are now exposing incidents of abuse," says activist Ms Asha Abdi.
She says networking has played crucial role in efforts to fight gender and domestic violence in all areas where the two-year 'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE II)' project was implemented.
She names the areas as Kajengwa, Mzuri, Kijini, Kiongoni, Nganani, and Tasani in South District on Unguja Island, and Bumbwisudi, Pangawe, Dole, Melinne, Mwanakwerwe, and Kianga in West District, Unguja.
In Pemba the areas are Mchangamdogo, Kiungoni, Kangagani, Shengejuu, Kinyikani, and Mjini-Ole. "Families in these areas have changed and many women are involved in Grass-roots Gender Networks (GGN). Once there is an incident of abuse, members of the network join hands to in combating it," says Abdi, coordinator of the project.
The GEWE project supported by Denmark through its Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) started in 2012 and ends this September.
The implementers of the project in Zanzibar are Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA)-Zanzibar, and the Zanzibar Female Lawyers Association (ZAFELA). The awareness programme included training of some journalists in reporting GBV and improving relations with other stakeholders mainly the police (anti-GBV desks), judiciary and community leaders.
GBV is still prevalence in the islands despite success recorded during the GEWE project, says lawyers Ms Saada Salum Issa and Ms Khadija Mabrouk Hassan, both ZAFELA members.
They say that the awareness programme includes knowledge about human rights, how to fight and prevent GBV in respective community, and encouraging networking in rural areas where violation of the rights of children and women are still common.
"We have worked hard to improve community understanding and the role of the media in fighting GBV. I believe there have been noticeable achievements," says Ms Issa.
The lawyers urge women in gender network groups and the media to continue exposing incidents of abuse, and to discourage the culture of secrecy. Ms Mzuri Issa, coordinator TAMWAZanzibar thanks the participants in all various training workshops for their good response.
She also praises DANIDA for supporting such "vital" programme, which indicates the beginning of the end of GBV in Zanzibar. Mzuri appeals to beneficiaries not to hide the skills and knowledge acquired, asking them to sensitize others about the hazards of GBV.
She says that a total of 114 cases of GBV were recorded in the three districts during the implementation of the GEWE project in the past one-and-half-years of the scheme. The leading incidents were rape cases followed by men abandoning their wives and children, battery and defilement.
"A total of 21 out of the 114 cases were taken to court while 32 cases were resolved at family level. Resolving abuse cases at family level are prompted by ignorance, delays in reporting cases, culture of secrecy, shame, corruption, weakness of laws governing GBV, and long distance to courts," Mzuri says.
Despite the challenges, activists TAMWA and ZAFELA activists say that there has been considerable progress in raising awareness and developing strategies on GBV. A study shows that the majority of GBV cases at the local level are settled through mediation in families, where victims risk isolation if they pursue justice.
Sometime even law enforcers and court workers encourage mediation. GBV is described as a breach of the fundamental right to life, liberty, security, dignity, equality between women and men, non-discrimination and physical and mental integrity.
GBV is also defined as "all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result in, physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), violence has profound implications for health but is often ignored. It says that "one of the most common forms of violence against women is that performed by a husband or male partner.
"This type of violence is frequently invisible since it happens behind closed doors, and effectively, when legal systems and cultural norms do not treat as a crime, but rather as a private family matter, or a normal part of life," says WHO.