ZANZIBAR-Tanzania Media Women's Association Zanzibar (TAMWA ZNZ) is urging child caretakers to uphold children's rights by ensuring their protection and that severe penalties are imposed on perpetrators of abuse, in accordance with the law.
A recent report from the Office of Chief Government Statistician (OCGS) reveals that a total of 165 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported in July 2024, with the majority of victims being children.
The report indicates that 142 children, representing 86.1% of all victims, were affected. Among these, 115 were girls, constituting 81.0%, and 27 were boys, accounting for 19.0%.
This situation is alarming and requires immediate action from all stakeholders, including the government, community organizations, religious institutions, elders, teachers, and the children themselves, who need to be educated on how to protect themselves from malicious individuals.
Stakeholders must also reevaluate how they can address the challenges leading to the increase in child abuse, as children, fundamentally, need to be protected at all costs.
The Zanzibar's Children Act No. 6 of 2011 prohibits all forms of child abuse to promote the well-being of children.
Additionally, the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ratified by Tanzania, including Zanzibar, emphasizes upholding children's rights, including protection, which helps build a society and nation of respectful citizens.
Recently, we witnessed the abuse of innocent children by officials from the Western 'A' Municipality, where a two-year-old child was arrested and taken along with their guardian under the pretext that the child's parents had not paid a sanitation fee while the parents were at work.
This incident caused distress to the child's family and the community at large, as it is a violation of both the child's rights and human rights.
In this context, TAMWA ZNZ strongly condemns acts of violence and abuse against children and calls for strict action to be taken against anyone who violates the law.
We urge the community to protect our children and ensure they are not subjected to abuse.