The call was made in Dar es Salaam by the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin in a speech read on his behalf by Executive Director of Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), Usu Mallya.

 

In his speech, Osotimehim said, “We must come together to find an internationally agreed consensus which will bring us closer to keeping women and girls safe and free from violence or threats of violence.”  

 

Osotimehim said UNFPA is using the occasion to renew its commitment to strengthening and expanding collective efforts towards ending gender-based violence through concerted efforts internationally.

 

“Gender based violence, remains a major health and human rights concern and no human development can be achieved as long as women and girls continue to suffer from violence or live in fear of it,” added the UNFPA Executive Director.

 

Explaining the magnitude of the problem, Osotimehim said millions of women and girls are subject to all forms of violence including; rape, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage, and sexual violence, adding that all these forms of abuses leave the victims in a prolonged psychological pain.

 

The UNFPA Executive Director further said, this year's International Women's Day coincides with the United Nations on-going meeting in New York which includes among other things, a discussion on the Status of Women, which this year focuses on addressing violence against women.

 

With national celebrations marked in Dar es Salaam, various government, civil society leaders, higher learning institutions representatives, UN agencies as well as civil society representatives attended the event.