Violence Against Women
Community Development, Gender and Children Minister Sophia Simba has called on Mara residents to stop outdated practices, including female genital mutilation (FGM), violence against women and marrying off schoolgirls.
She also challenged women to come forward and vie for different leadership positions. She Traime residents, especially women, to participate in the new constitution making process.
She made the remarks at a Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Women’s Wing (UWT) held in Tarime district on March 20.
Those present at the meeting included Tarime district commissioner John Henjewele, CCM district secretary Moris Adrian and Women's Wing (UWT) secretary Sauda Keng'anya.
The meeting was chaired by UWT regional chairperson Nancy Msafiri assisted by Tarime CCM district chairperson Paulina Mnanka.
"I'm really happy to be here in Mara, this is the very first time ever since I was elected UWT national chairperson to set my foot here. Just remember that a woman is the pillar of the family, child upbringing is not a joke. It's time the society shun outdated customs and practices," she stressed.
She said that since CCM's intra-party elections were around the corner, it was important for women to come forward and vie for different leadership positions within the ruling party.
A member identified as Martina Chambiri said that the party should look for ways of improving nominations of contesters, saying the current system caused divisions within the party, which sometimes were incurable.
"People come forward, but when names are returned, one finds that there are controversies here and there, this hurts the party, that's when mud-sliding and back-biting start," she said.
Another UWT member Hidaya Peter questioned the rationale of allocating more councillorship seats to wards in Tarime constituency which performed poorly in the last general elections.
She said Inchungu division performed well in the elections, but got only one seat more, while Ingwe, In-change and Inano, which performed poorly were given two seats each.
In her visit, Minister Simba was accompanied by UWT influential figures including Janeth Masaburi, Vivian Juma, Christina Mantago, and Amina Marumbo.
