IN efforts to build confidence among members of the public in demanding their rights, activists have been advised to involve wide range of people in discussing challenges they face in their respective areas.
Activists forming ‘citizens committees’ from the districts of Micheweni, Wete, Mkoani and Chake Chake in Pemba have been told that it was important for people to understand proper ways of raising their voices in demanding for their basic rights.
The advice was given by participants during a meeting involving members of the Citizens’ committees formed at Shehias (lowest government administrative areas) in Unguja and Pemba.
The committees meant to help raise awareness about the basic rights of the people and proper way of alerting the government.
Pemba Environmental and Gender Protection Community (PEGAO) in collaboration with the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA-Zanzibar) organised the meeting in Pemba, with the aim of building the ability of the committees to look at barriers to women’s rights with focus on ‘right to leadership’.
At the meeting, which is part of activities to implement Strengthen Women-In- Leadership (SWIL) project, which is supported by the Embassy of Norway in Tanzania, TAMWA-Zanzibar’s Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer, Mr Mohamed Khatib, encouraged the community to have a culture of meeting to discuss the problems women face in enjoying their rights to find solution together.
He said, “Citizens committees’ leaders must meet with ordinary citizens to hear from them so that challenges could be solved.”
Participation of citizens to discuss problems they face such as women in leadership helps to promote the understanding of the community to participate directly in speaking about their rights.
In addition, he added that the Embassy of Norway in collaboration with TAMWA, ZAFELA (Zanzibar Female Lawyers Association) and PEGAO are running the project with the aim of building a strong society with the ability to raise its voice on problems that lead to infringing women’s basic rights.
“The main goal of this project is to build a community of citizens who have the courage to raise their voice on the challenges they face in their areas, especially women, to help solve the problems in time,” Mr Mohamed said.
PEGAO Project Director Hafidh Abdi informed the community that they should realise that they have the responsibility to overcome the challenges they face in order to build a society that follows the principles of gender equality in all areas.
“Citizens need to know that problems in societies are inevitable and they are responsible for finding solutions in acceptable way so that no one is left behind in accessing basic rights, including women in leadership.”
