THE RESULT OF GENDER VIOLENCE!
AN upsetting story happened recently about partners who gave away an infant because they did not want to raise the kid born outside marriage.
A man, father of the baby, from Dodoma and a Zanzibari lady, fell into love and unexpectedly had pregnancy!
The young mother, who travelled to Dodoma for studies, loved her boyfriend and she has been loyal to the man, abiding by his instructions although he threatened not to marry her if she kept the infant.
Before the child was born, there was an attempt for abortion, but a medical doctor advised them not to do so because it was dangerous for the mother.
But since the man never wanted a baby out of marriage because it was a shame to their tradition, the next option was to murder the infant once it is born.
When the young lady went to give birth at the hospital, she asked the doctor to kill the infant by injection as par the demand of the baby's father.
But again the infant was lucky, following the doctor's advice that instead of murdering the baby the mother should give it away to a relative who wanted one.
The mother never wanted the news to reach her parents in Zanzibar, but she decided to offer the two-day old newborn to a friend in Zanzibar.
The friend hurriedly travelled to Dodoma to pick the child. This was the unreported story (to the media) and people, who heard the news, are asking why the medical doctor in Dodoma and a friend of the mother of newborn opted to remain silent.
Probably they thought the child would have been in danger by taking the case to law enforcers. It said that the mother of the infant is recovering from giving birth, before the partners in Dodoma travel to the man's home village where his parents and relatives would welcome the lady to prepare for marriage! Meanwhile, the mother, who has adopted the baby in Zanzibar, says the child is doing well.
Every day, newborns are thrown, killed. The few lucky ones are given away free. Likewise, women around the world are subjected to serious physical and psychological violence and exploitation due to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking and harmful traditional practices.
Most of these incidents are unreported, and that is the reason why activists from the Zanzibar Female Lawyers Association (ZAFELA) in collaboration with their colleagues from Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) strives to create Zanzibar where women and children are free from violence by increasing awareness.
Concerns about many incidences of violence against children and women in Zanzibar have prompted researchers and activists to undertake studies to assess the extent and raise awareness with people about gender-based violence, and get opinions on how to end the social menace.
Zanzibar has laws like the criminal procedure Act No 6/2004; Employment Act of 2005, Kadhis Court Act of 1985; and education Laws that deal with gender and family violence against children and women.
Like in other countries, Zanzibar also uses the United Nations (UN) (United Nations 1979) convention, and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) (Southern Africa Development Community 2008) protocols, both of which focus on the curbing of such violence.
But during the oneday forum on 'genderbased violence' held in Zanzibar last week, Ms Saada Salum Issa from ZAFELA said that they have identified several weaknesses in the laws that need to be rectified.
According to ZAFELA, lack of qualification for Kadhis, hearing of cases involving abuse in public, and no rape in marriage, are some of the weaknesses that stakeholders need to address by pushing for amendment to improve war against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Gender-based violence is explained as any act that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women and children, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
The lawyer, Saada Salum, said at the forum which attracted activists working at district level in 'Unguja West, and Unguja South Districts', and that GBV remains rampant in many areas with many cases dismissed partly due to weaknesses of the laws.
During the discussions, Ms Siti Abbasi, a lawyer from ZAFELA, said it is possible to reform the laws, and she encouraged participants to give their opinion that to better laws in near future. The forum was among series of awareness campaign implemented under the 'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE II)' project supported by Denmark through its Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Awareness campaigns in targeted areas aimed at sensitizing people about what gender-based violence really is, to educate people including local and religious leaders about the forms of gender-based violence and actions they can take should they find themselves in such situations.
The campaigns also aimed to raise the understanding of journalists about the menace and the role they have to play. Mr Suleiman Ali from Makunduchi, said that since most violence against children and women in Zanzibar is domestic and committed by perpetrators who are consensual partners, family members, and other close acquaintances, follow-up stories are important.
"We want to hear how cases end, but the media in the country are weak in following up stories. Those convicted of offences must be convicted and exposed to the public through media," said Ali.
Ms Fatma Juma, activist from Mwanakwerekwe, said that laws such as the marriage law which does not recognize rape in marriage, undermines women rights, "for example one pregnant woman was raped by her husband. The helpless women could not file a case because the law protects men."
Fatma suggested that in efforts to end violence against children and women, awareness should be carried out in schools, community centres, religious gatherings (church and mosques), and work places targeting both men and women, including people with disability.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201407241048.html?viewall=1
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