NATIONAL Census Commissioner, Anne Makinda has condemned domestic violence occurring in matrimonial relationships.
Speaking at an event to mark Pan African Women’s Day in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Ms Makinda said such cases have been the cause of disabilities and even deaths, with mostly women being the victims.
“Nowadays most women have become breadwinners…you can find cases where husbands have butchered their wives only because they did not leave money at home for food,” Ms Makinda, who is also the Former Speaker of the Parliament, stated.
Pan African Women’s Day is celebrated by the African Union on July 31st and it marks the anniversary of the foundation of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation in Tanzania in 1962, one year before the Organisation of African Unity, now called the Africa Union (AU) was born.
“Gender violence is still rampant, even political leaders are experiencing this problem. We are also abused,” she stated.
She underlined the importance of educating girls, saying education would save women from violence against them.
Ms Makinda encouraged women to come out and compete for different political leadership positions in the next general election.
On her part, the Executive Director of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Ms Anna Kulaya said they commemorated the day by looking at various laws that can protect women rights.
Ms Kulaya appealed to the government to fast-track enactments in the Marriage Act of 1971 as decided by the Court of Appeal which has given six-month ultimatum for changes to be made.
“When the law is delayed, it further marginalises women and girls, something which is against the Constitution. So, we ask the government to speed up doing changes as per the decision made by the court,” she emphasised.
Earlier, former Executive Director of Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Ms Edda Sanga said she remembered a veteran journalist and advocate for women and child rights, Ms Leila Sheikh who died this year.
