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Civil society, development partners commended for empowering women
2007-11-20 09:35:20
By Correspondent Asteria Muhozya
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children, Mariam Mwaffisi, last week commended civil society organisations and development partners for their contribution in empowering women to attain gender equality.
Mwaffisi made the remarks while opening a working session for stakeholders to discuss the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, organised by the ministry.
The session seeks to get views from stakeholders, after SADC Heads of State and Government deferred signing of the protocol, at the August 2007 Summit held in Lusaka Zambia to allow further consultations.
The Protocol is based on the SADC declaration on Gender and Development of 1997, a commitment by heads of State and Government to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in all SADC plans and programmes to enhance efforts for achievement of gender equality in member states.
Such achievement would be made through, among others, the establishment of mechanisms for ensuring that gender is incorporated in all SADC activities of all sectors.
Mwafissi said the organized session was important as the comments provided during the session would inform the discussions by SADC Ministers of Gender and Women`s Affairs at a meeting to be held by the end of this month.
She said that women`s political power is now growing citing several factors that have enhanced women`s position in politics which have shifted the political landscape.
``Those who used to see women as weak, now contend that women are able and leaders,`` she said.
She mentioned another area of concern as lack of ownership rights by women.
As a result of concern, Mwafissi said, SADC Heads of State and Government committed themselves to promoting women`s full access and control over productive resources.
The later include land, livestock, credit, markets, modern technology, formal employment and good quality of life in order to reduce poverty among women.
Mwafissi cited violence against women as another major concern, and noted it to be rampant in Tanzania as reported by media.
Such acts of violence were also demonstrated recently by the Popular Tribunal on Women and Girls Lives conducted for three days at the Leaders` Club from November 6 to 8, this year.
She said Tanzania has taken measures to implement the SADC declaration by putting in place a National Plan of Action on combating gender based violence which has been developed and disseminated.
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