Anti GBV campaign heats up in Dar es Salaam market places

ABELA MSIKULA

THE global champion for gender equality, UN Women, has promised to continue supporting Tanzania in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) in market places after being satisfied with the progress of the just ended ‘Mpe- Riziki Si Matusi’ campaign in Dar es Salaam.

‘Mpe-Riziki Si Matusi’, campaign aims to eradicate all types of GBV and allow women to participate freely in various economic activities for their own personal gain and contribute in the national income.

It was jointly sponsored by UN Women and UN Trust Fund and implemented by the Dar es Salaam-based non-governmental organisation Equality for Growth (EfG) and held in Ilala and Temeke district markets.

After being told that the campaign helped in reducing GBV acts by over 80 per cent in the markets, the UN Women Executive Director, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said she was impressed by the situation, promising to extend the campaign country-wide.

“I have heard you women expressing how you are capable of contesting and win various leadership positions in the markets. Keep it up to make women have representatives everywhere, and always consider solidarity,” she said during the campaign celebrations in the city on Tuesday.

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka urged men to avoid brutality on women, and instead they should collaborate with them in various social and economic activities to support their personal and the national gains. EfG Executive Director, Ms Jane Magigita chipped in and said that women were always on the front line in the fight against poverty, but GBV pose serious barriers.

Before the campaign implementation, GGV rate was 96.77 per cent in market places. According to her, both sexual and cash corruption, verbal and physical violence including sexual harassment and insults were among serious barriers women face in markets.

“We have witnessed enormous changes among women traders in markets. Through the campaign, we offered genderbased education for 17,907 male and female traders, we conducted the research in December last year and found that 92 per cent of women were trading freely,” said Ms Magigita.

About 89 per cent women accessed their economical rights, 70 per cent were able to contest for various leadership positions, 83 per cent were involved in decision making activities and 91 per cent have access to legal assistance after facing violence.

There was an increase of women in market leadership system, from 14 to 26 per cent, while women hold top positions in some of the markets. The next ‘Mpe-Riziki Si Matusi’ campaign beneficiaries are Dodoma and Shinyanga regions from next month, said the EfG boss.