Minister Cannon launches Gender Based Violence programme in Tanzania
News
01 November 2017Community members in Misungwi gave Minister Cannon a very warm welcome when he visited their district and launched a community level programme to prevent women and girls from experiencing gender based violence. The programme, which aims at mobilising communities to address unequal power relations that perpetuate violence, will be implemented in 10 wards of Misungwi district by Kivulini – a local organisation based in Mwanza- and supported by the Embassy of Ireland.
In Tanzania, the most recent statistics tell us that almost 40% of women have experienced physical violence, and one in five women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. Gender based violence is a significant barrier to poverty reduction and development in Tanzania.
Minister Cannon recognised the efforts of the Government of Tanzania towards eliminating gender based violence. He noted that the enactment of the legal framework and the launch of the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children is an indication of the Government of Tanzania’s commitment to protect and prevent women and girls from violence as well as to provide quality services to survivors.
Minister Cannon commended the work of Kivulini towards transforming people’s attitudes and also urged men in Mwanza and Misungwi district to be change agents and role models in the fight against gender based violence.
In Tanzania, our development cooperation places a special emphasis on advancing women and girls’ rights. In 2014/15, Ireland supported Kivulini with €200,000 to implement a gender based violence prevention programme in five wards of Misungwi district. Through this new grant of €350,000, a new phase of the programme will enable Kivulini to expand this work into a further five wards.