Youth urged to oppose violence

DAILY NEWS Reporter

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Ms Sihaba Nkinga.

THE youths have been urged to raise their voices and say no to Gender Based Violence (GBV). Speaking in Dar es Salaam at the climax of 16 days of activism, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Ms Sihaba Nkinga, said young people should use the chance to illustrate that masculinity is a blessing to protect vulnerability.

She noted that the campaign which climaxed was time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. The International campaign originated from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991.

She said the year 2015 marks the 20-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive road map to gender equality. World leaders met in March at the United Nations 70th General Assembly to take stock of the progress made and commit to take action to close the gaps that are holding women and girls back.

During the last 16 days of activism against violence, TAMWA’s Executive Director, Ms Edda Sanga, said they provided counseling services to victims of GBV in Ruangwa and Newala districts, where such cases have been reported to be on increase compared to other places.

She added that participants who attended the training included medical doctors, paralegals, magistrates, State Attorneys as well as social workers and police officers on gender desks.

The Tanzania Media Women Association(TAMWA), through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), had been carrying number of activities countrywide to tackle GBV cases and their negative impact on social development.

The year 2015 marks the 24th year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, initiated in 1991 and coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership.

Participation in the Campaign has seen over 5,478 organizations, policymakers, governments, UN agencies and countless individuals from over 180 countries worldwide.

The 16 days campaign focused specifically on the relationship between militarism and the right to education in situations of violent conflict, in relative peace and variety of education settings, while continuing to make the links with militarism, as an encompassing patriarchal system of discrimination and inequality based on our relationships to powe