Fight against GBV receives boost
Arusha. Eight secondary schools have received eight tablets an effort to boost the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) .
The tablets, portable computers, were delivered last week to the schools at Mto wa Mbu in Monduli District, Arusha Region under a programme coordinated by the Pastoralist Women Council (PWC). The Arusha-based non-governmental organisation is spearheading the fight against GBV nicknamed ‘Tapala’ among the nomadic livestock keepers in the northern regions.
According to coordinators of the project, the tablets would enable its implementors to communicate and relay vital information on GBV against women and girls.
“Through this we will fight GBV using modern technology,” said the Arusha regional administrative secretary, Mr Richard Kwitega, during the launch of the project at the Mto wa Mbu township.
The project is being implemented in eight villages in Monduli District, courtesy of a Belgian development organisation, Trias, and targets to reach out 3,00 students, 150 teachers and civic leaders in villages surrounding the education institutions. Speaking when unveiling the project, Mr Kwitega said GBV should not be given a room in the society because it was a form of violation of the basic human rights. He said globally, at least 35 per cent of women and girls are sexually assaulted or subjected to other forms of violence because of their gender.
The figure is slightly higher in Tanzania where the GBV rate against women was 40 per cent during 2015/2016. The Trias eastern Africa director, Mr Bart Casier, said the organisation was committed to complement efforts being made by the government in the fight against the vice. Statistics from the Social Welfare Department indicate there were a total of 427 acts of violence against women and girls in Arusha region during the months of July to September this year.
