Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) has vowed to end gender based violence at community level in order to bring about a healthier community in the society.
The launching of the third TGNP festival which was held at community level at Ng’ereng’ere Primary School in Nyamaraga ward.
The TGNP Programme Manager for Activism,
Research and Advocacy, Ms Mary Msemwa said that early marriages, Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM), lack of economic empowerment and patriarchy
system as the major causes of gender based violence in the community.
She said that the three-day festival has
the aim of encouraging participants at the community level to reflect
on what TGNP has been doing and come up with the way forward of ending
gender based violence.
“This is an open gender festival for
like minded individuals and organizations that came together here to
share their experiences and knowledge and celebrate the achievement and
asses challenge ahead.
The upshot is to strengthen networking
and contribute to the community debate and at the end of this festival
“we expect the community to understand various issues on gender related
challenges,” she emphasized.
On his part, Tarime District Officer
Baraka Nyamsenda, who was the guest of honour at the festival, praised
TGNP for its efforts of ending gender based violence in the country.
He said that the district government has
put various strategies — including taking to the courts of law those
who carry out female genital mutilation on schoolgirls.
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| TGNP Programme Manager for Activism, Research and Advocacy, Ms Mary Msemwa |
“We in Tarime District Council have
various strategies designed to end FGM on girls, but one of the
challenges we face is that, the FGM is conducted secretly such that we
failed to know the exact time and location of the activity,” he said.
He urged Tarime residents to wake up and
avoid allowing their girls to go for female genital mutilation as it
will be dangerous for them. Some of them will die.
“I want to assure TGNP that we in the
government will give you any support that you want with regard to the
completion of your mission here, especially on the issues of gender
based violence and female genital mutilation,” he said.
The festival was attended by a number of
activists, including pupils, Tarime distict council officials,
non-governmental organization representatives, including Save the
Children of Tarime (SACHITA), Tarime Girls Networking, “Sheria na Haki
za Binadamu Tarime”, Children Youth and Women Development, Africare and
members of community generally.
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