The society needs to find ways to combat the increasing incidents of Gender Based Violence (GBV) which are reported to be exceeding 150 complaints in just a month.
According to the report from the Chief Statistician of Zanzibar 199 incidents, and 172 incidents were reported for the month of October and November each affecting women and children the most.
Compared to the number of incidents in 2022, where a total of 1361 incidents were reported, this figure may exceed significantly due to the high monthly reporting in 2023.
This increase needs to be examined on two folds: firstly, legal institutions and secondly the community. It should be assessed to what extent these two entities are fulfilling their respective responsibilities.
On the legal side, it should be examined against the access to justice and rule of law to all indiscriminately and the level of accountability to officials who neglect their duties.
The community, on the other hand, should actively fight against acts of GBV and educate the groups at risks to prevent them from engaging in such behaviors. Protection of children against GBV and providing evidence when needed should be emphasized.
According to the November report, out of 172 incidents, only one was taken to court, this situation needs a careful consideration. Another challenge is the inadequate use of laws; for instance, the Evidence Act No. 9 of 2016 provides an opportunity to use electronic evidence, albeit it is not utilized, risking the loss of files and causing inconvenience to witnesses, especially children and persons with disabilities.
Therefore, we urge legal institutions to accelerate their investigative efforts and invest in technology for handling complaints and providing relief to young children.
TAMWA ZNZ also continues to call on youth to develop robust plans to avoid engaging in such acts, including resisting temptations, avoiding emotional indulgence and exercising self-control against the misuse of social media.
Dr. Mzuri Issa,
Director,
TAMWA ZNZ.
