Women activists cry for domestic violence Act

Human rights conference

The government has been advised to enact a law on domestic violence in order to lessen the increasing gender-based violence in the society.

The advice was made on Thursday during a Popular Tribunal to discuss gender-based violence organised by human rights activists in the country.

Contributing to the theme of the day, Judge Natalia Kimaro called upon women to find ways to emancipate themselves from domestic violence due to the vice causing physical and psychological harm to their lives.

Judge Kimaro said women should never hesitate to bring forward culprits involved in abuse to law enforcers and should not give up by thinking that they will not receive assistance.

She further called for the formation of a special court to deal with family issues including divorce, abuse and domestic violence.

`There is a need to build crisis centres to shelter victims of domestic violence in the country,` said judge Kimaro.

For her part, the workshop facilitator, Gema Akilimani from TGNP, called upon the health centres to form special departments which would provide emergency services to victims of domestic violence without delay.

A human rights activist from Arusha, Martha Temba, said human rights activist should direct their efforts into rural areas because rural women were condoning strange and outdated traditions which deprived them of their basic rights.

Contributing to the theme, Judge Engella Kileo from the court of appeal said every individual had a role to play calling for the society to change the mindsets and outdated traditions.

Judge Kileo called for a review of the marriage and sexual Acts saying they were contradicting each other.

`The society ought to change the mindsets. Children learn abuse from their parents. If they saw a father beat their mothers, it`s more likely that they would grow to think that it is right to beat their wives. We need to educate children on human rights and how to respect others,` said judge Kileo.

Giving testimony ealier, a victim of domestic violence who preferred anonymity said her husband had beaten her until she lost consciousness and had even locked her for days without treatment.

She further said that he put her into solitary confinement with no means of communication and forced her to dress like a `ninja` in order to hide her wounds.

The three-day Popular Tribunal discussion was meant to address gender-based violence, house girls` abuse, martenal mortality and morbity in the country.

The event brought together judges, the police, human rights activists, the public as well as victims of the three topics.