THE government in Kilimanjaro Region has hailed efforts which are being made by different activists in ending gender-based violence incidents especially to women, girls and children and also HIV/Aids education and voluntary counselling and testing.
 
The praises came from the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Monica Ngenzi Mbega, when launching this year’s Northern Zone version of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, (GBV), at the Njoro grounds in Moshi town on Wednesday.
 
In a speech read on her behalf by the Moshi District Commissioner, Alhaj Mussa Samizi, Ms Mbega said despite achievements in the war against GBV in the region, there were still some challenges as far as the war against GBV was concerned and which need to be addressed.
 
“We all understand that activists never sleep a wink in making sure that GBV is dealt with. But believe me, there are others including parents who contribute in the GBV against their children”, she said.
 
She said there are examples where fathers have been playing big roles in their daughters’ female genital mutilation incidents but those who are aware don’t report the incidents because of outdated traditional beliefs.
 
She reiterated the regional government’s warning that it would deal with all those who take part in these unlawful incidents and appealed to anyone with information concerning GBV incidents to forward them straight to her office for immediate action.
 
On her part, the Programme Coordinator with the Kilimanjaro Women Information, Exchange and Consultancy Organization, (KWIECO), Agnatha Rutazaa, cited silence as one of the challenges which activists face in the war against GBV.
 
“How many times have we heard of women who have been abused by their husbands and injured badly lying that they were involved in accidents?” she asked. She urged victims to be open and free to report the incidents because it was their basic right to be free from GBV.
 
Earlier, the chairman of this year’s 16 days of GBV campaign committee, Anthony Malisa, described the northern zone regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara and Tanga, as some of the areas which have been mostly affected by the GBV incidents especially on women.
 
He said in making sure that GBV is eliminated within the northern zone, non-governmental organizations which include KWIECO; the women groups against Aids in Kilimanjaro Region, (KIWAKKUKI), who are both the coordinators of this year’s 16 days of GBV campaign, in collaboration with other institutions are working closely towards that end.