Nov 13, 2013

Zanzibar: Increasing Awareness On Gender Rights


Initiatives promoting gender rights, such as the organization of networks and seminars, have started to bear fruit in Zanzibar. 

Below is an article published by allAfrica:

Two years after the launch of the first Gender Networking Group in Zanzibar, women now see big changes taking place towards their rights.

Some of promising results include increase of women awareness about their rights and involvement in income generating activities, says Zaitun Juma Mshimba, chairperson of the South Unguja Gender Networking Group formed in 2011.

She says after attending a series of training sessions on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) her colleagues in south and west districts came up with the idea of forming a network that helps promote women affairs and fight against violence in villages.

The Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA) has organized seminars as part of the implementation of the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) programme supported by Denmark, through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

The project, which ends next year, aims at supporting measures to enhance and promote gender equality and women empowerment.

The programme includes minimizing 'harmful' practices on women such as early and forced marriages, sexual abuse, beating and under representation in the decision- making process.

According to Zaitun, through policy briefs, the gender networking group has sought to address the issue of GBV, including lack of employment and inadequacy of proper budget allocation in district councils.

"Our campaign for women development and gender equality is now at local government. We must be involved in District councils planning and budget allocations," said Zaitun.

She said "the programme has improved health care, provision of water and law enforcement in rural areas where women still face many challenges compared to those in urban areas. According to her, women in villages have benefited from the GEWE project, which has also resulted to government's positive response.

Activists Zaitun and Ms Khadija Hassan say happily that their gender networking group is now working closely with community leaders and councils in the region. The South Unguja Gender Networking Group was recently given 5m/- to support of its programmes.

The money, part of the funding from GEWE, will help the group in following-up women abuse cases in courts, overseeing the implementation of proper budget allocation and increase awareness meetings.

Ms Asha Abdi, GEWE programme facilitator from TAMWA said that women in other areas of Zanzibar admire the development of South Unguja Networking Group. "Gender networking groups are now being formed in other areas including Pemba.

They are now in the process of registering the groups. We hope networking in villages will definitely bring changes to women," said Asha. She said an active voice through 'gender networking groups' is a new strategy for preventing and responding to GBV, especially in poverty-stricken rural areas.

Several women in South Unguja have confirmed that although their status has been improving greatly since the formation of gender networking groups, they need to work hard to overcome gender inequality. "In general, women and men are still unequal in political rights.

Women are less involved in leadership. Still many males in rural areas think women cannot be leaders," said Patima Ayub from Makunduchi village. Patima and other activists call for more measures to reduce the gender gap and GBV.