Police call for stronger stakeholder support in GBV fight
TANGA: POLICE Force in Tanga Region has called on stakeholders to step up support in the ongoing fight against the rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and child abuse in the region.
The appeal was made by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Joseph Ng’eve following a donation from the Tanga Youth Talents Association (TAYOTA), which handed over four chairs and a desk to the Tanga Police Gender Desk to support its operations.
ACP Ng’eve said the donation will help improve the working environment at the desk and enhance its capacity to assist victims seeking justice and protection.
“These items will help the desk serve victims more effectively. We urge other partners to join hands with us in tackling the growing challenge of GBV and child abuse,” he said.
TAYOTA Director George Bwire said the donation was made in response to an appeal from the Police Gender Desk for support.
He explained that the organisation is implementing a campaign known as “Pamoja Tuwalinde” (Together Let’s Protect Them), which encourages reporting of GBV cases and strengthens community-based child protection systems.
“Too many cases go unreported or are dropped. That must change,” Bwire said.
“With strong community engagement, Tanga can become a national model for child protection.”
He added that TAYOTA has supported the Police Force in other ways, including providing transport for officers to follow up on cases and arrest suspects linked to GBV and child abuse.
“Together with the Police Force, we are working to ensure women, children, and the wider community are safe and protected,” he said.
Highlighting progress under the Pamoja Tuwalinde project, Bwire noted that it has so far reached 11,790 schoolchildren and 101 teachers across 18 schools in Tanga City, providing awareness education on GBV prevention and child protection.
The project has also engaged police officers, magistrates, social welfare officers, divisional officers, civil society leaders, and grassroots community representatives to strengthen coordination in the fight against abuse.
