By Friday Simbaya, Mufindi
Primary and secondary school students in Mufindi District Iringa have requested the government to cooperate with children's rights activists to implement strict law against gender based violence (GBV).
They said by enacting stringent laws against GBV it will contribute to the fulfilling dreams for young children.
The children told the TUMBUSI BLOG yesterday during a children’s Council meeting at ward level, that violent acts have risen every day in the community around due to lack of strict law against them while parents seem to fail to fulfill the rights of children.
It is believed that family abuse contributes significantly to an increasing rise in harmful acts to children including rape and lawlessness.
Parents, guardians and society generally have the greatest potential for building a moral society against evil practices.
Evelina Mwilapwa, a Form Three (Form III) student at Ihowanza Secondary said that the government in collaboration with various stakeholders should formulate strict law to control immorality against children.
She said that the government should state that the issue of gender-based violence against girls was to be avoided from family to community level.
Mwilapwa said that there are parents and caregivers who are particularly concerned about the children who have been denied the opportunity to gain education and hence discrimination.
The Community Development Officer Mufindi District Council Navoneiwa Mfinanga said due to education among parents and guardians the challenge of child abuse is decreasing while explaining government strategies on the matter.
She said that the challenges of gender based violence have begun to decline due to the education of gender-based violence through the community through various risk-management committees.
According to Kukutona Kayungi, the project officer SOS Children's Villages Tanzania in Mufindi District, through the women economic empowerment and child rights project said the seminar was strengthening and building capacity for children's councils so that they could recognize their rights so that they could raise their voices on issues of violence.
She said that through children's councils is a forum for children where they discuss their own issues of rape, childhood pregnancy, and women's being denied the right to own property.
Kayungi also stated that GBV often occurs at the family level but through the councils the children are taught how to recognize the rights of the potential to report acts of violence on the gender based violence desks that are in their area.
She added that the SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania also offers training to build capacity to caregivers for their children, their families and the community so that children can get good morals.
Kayungi said that children from three wards have met through the children's councils at ward level in Mufindi District, Iringa region, to exchange views and air voices to their interests.
"These children are currently experiencing the challenge acts of violence such as rape, childhood marriages and under age employment in recent years," she said.
The children’s forum was meant to build capacity for children so that they can open up and voice for themselves and their fellows.
At least 140 children from Bumilayinga, Idunda and Ihowanza wards attended children’s councils round table discussion on gender based violence organized by the non-governmental organization of SOS Children's Villages Tanzania in partnership with Mufindi District, Iringa Iringa.
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