Gender violence on the rise, advocate wants family courts

By Queenter Mawinda

Constitution and Justice Deputy Minister Angela Kairuki ( C ), Women Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) Chairperson Nakazael Tenga ( R ) and WLAC Executive Director Theodosia Muhulo hold copies of a booklet on guideline to help victims of gender violence during its launch in Dar es Salaam yesterday.(PHOTO: TRYPHONE MWEJI)

There is an alarming increase in the number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases with reports indicating highest rates on record at Dodoma region with 70 percent of women in the area being GBV victims.

According to the findings, Morogoro and Ruvuma have the lowest rates at 50 percent of women reporting incidences of violence, while Mara recorded 66 percent, much higher than the national average rate standing at 44 percent.

The Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey of 2010 shows that about 10 per cent of women report their first sexual intercourse as having been forced.

Speaking yesterday in Dar es Salaam when officiating a Women's Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) book, “A Guideline to Help Gender Based Violence Victims,” the Deputy Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Angellah Kairuki said there is need to intensify the fight against the growing social problem and encourage victims to report abuse cases to facilitate prompt remedial action.

GBV is a grave problem in the lives of women and girls in Tanzania, attributed to poor education in the various communities.

Many GBV cases go unreported due to prolonged court proceedings and bureaucratic procedure of seeking justice, where records show that out of the cases occurring only 4.4 per cent are reported for action.

However it is gratifying to learn that the government has plans for GBV victims where GBV cases will now take much shorter to be heard and judgment delivered, all within a three months period, the deputy minister noted.

She placed the obligation and responsibility to protect the victims on the whole society, cautioning people to ensure victims are handled in accordance with the established policy and guidelines.

She affirmed that more effort is needed in combating the violence, noting that current the government is working on the Strategic policies and guidelines aimed at securing the safety and recovery of gender based violence (GBV)

Meanwhile, WLAC chairperson Nakazael Tenga said WLAC decided to launch this special book so as to provide guidelines to   GBV victims to identify and combat different forms of gender violence in the country and take stern measures against it.

The guidelines aim at empowering women who have been sexually abused to report abuses cases to relevant authorities and defend their rights in law organs, she elaborated.

Advocate Tenga said the guidelines outline social service providers stationed in Dar es Salaam and other regions, to help and facilitate GBV victims in various regions to access legal aid services.

She recommended that the government establishes a special court for matrimonial disputes and domestic violence to handle GBV cases. At present many incidents of violence go unreported due to prolonged court proceedings that the poor abused women cannot afford.

“The government should establish family courts so as to avoid long legal proceedings and facilitate timely service delivery to victims of gender-based violence,” the advocate insisted.
 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN