Violence in children disturb Women`s Day mood

Tanzanians have been asked to mark this year’s International Women’s Day on Tuesday themed “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality,” by addressing the problem of violence among children which is on the increase.

Pendo Berege, the deputy registrar for Tanzania trade unions at the Ministry of Labour and Employment made the call yesterday during a women’s festival organized by the Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Trade Union (THTU) hosted by the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) in the city.

She said there was an increase of violence in children saying women need to recognise their roles in the society and fight the vice.

“We can only have good future communities if women play their roles of protecting the family,” she said.

She said women need to be accountable in their families if they are to have good upbringing of children by also ensuring they fight negative African traditions which deny the rights of young women.

THTU Secretary Amina Mdidi explained that in marking the women international day, they would address various challenges that fail them in implementing equal rights opportunities.

She said THTU wants educated women to be the catalyst of their own development by addressing various barriers affecting their development.

Dr. AveMaria Semfuko, a lecturer at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences examined the need to look into how higher learning studies can contribute towards women’s development.

“We should first think out how we can use education to liberate ourselves. We cannot help others if we are surrounded by a lot of challenges as we celebrate Women’s Day on March 8,” Dr. Semfuko emphasized.

In his message for the International Women’s Day this year, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is quoted as saying: “We have shattered so many glass ceilings; we created a carpet of shards. Now we are sweeping away the assumptions and biases of the past so that women can advance across new frontiers.”

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in her message that “each one of us is needed in our respective countries, communities, organizations, governments and in the United Nations to ensure decisive, visible and measurable actions are taken under the banner: Planet 50-50: Step It Up for Gender Equality.”

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY