LGAs urged to promote girls’ participation in elections

DAR ES SALAAM: LOCAL Government Authorities (LGAs) have been urged to encourage girls to participate in elections and vie for various leadership positions at the school and community levels.
The call was made by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Advocate Amon Mpanju, during a press briefing ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child, which is commemorated on October 11.
Advocate Mpanju noted that the government is coordinating the establishment of special platforms in schools to empower students, with the help of guidance counsellors, to address violence that may occur at home, on the streets, or in schools.
“As of September 2024, a total of 3,618 such platforms have been created, with 2,471 in primary schools and 1,147 in secondary schools,” he said.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Girl Child and Leadership: Let’s Engage Her, now is the Time,’ which encourages the empowerment of girls to participate in elections and assume leadership roles at all levels of their age group. This is aimed at preparing them to become leaders both now and in the future.
“According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, there are 29,365,234 children in mainland Tanzania, of whom 14,680,895 are girls, representing half of all children in the country. This group of girls faces various challenges, including rape, defilement, teenage pregnancy, and child marriage,” said Advocate Mpanju.
He added that according to police crime statistics from January to December 2023, cases of violence against children increased by 25.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, reaching 15,301 cases.
“This underscores the urgent need for society and stakeholders to join forces in protecting children, especially girls.”
He said Advocate Mpanju attributed the high prevalence of violence against children to factors such as poor parenting, as revealed in the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS). Family breakups and conflicts have led to early sexual initiation among children, contributing to teenage pregnancies.
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Rebecca Gyumi of the Msichana Initiatives, speaking on behalf of child rights advocates, expressed their readiness to continue implementing various initiatives to protect girls, as directed by the government.
The International Day of the Girl Child, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 2011, aims to recognize the unique challenges faced by girls and to promote their rights to a full and healthy life.
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