Speaking during the handing over ceremony, Director of Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) Koshima Mtengati said the vision behind this goodwill gesture is to combat sexual violation against children in the western region.
He recounted that the region is known for its high involvement in sexual ills in favor of these little ones and in most cases are reported to be violated by those close to them including relatives, teachers, guardians and neighbours.
“Apart from children being abused by the people around them, the children also abuse themselves,” he intoned.
Mtengati added that, apart from Kigoma, other regions like Shinyanga, Mara, Dodoma, Singida, Manyara, Dar es Saalam, Kilimanjaro, and Tabora for the past five years have also been championing incidence of sexual violence including rape and sodomy.
He said that 36, 940 cases of sodomy and rape from 2015 to 2019 have been reported to the police stations countrywide. Adding that in 2020, 45 offenses were reported from 13 regions in Tanzania and only 13 cases received court sentences.
A senior police officer who represented the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr Musa Ally called on the gender desk personnel to use the received statistics to reach areas affected by the occurrence of violence.
“We should use the received statistics to get to the areas that show the existence of such acts and provide education on the elimination of sexual violence to the community of concern and not to wait for the victims to come and report while you're seated in the office,” he encouraged.
Kigoma Regional Commissioner (RPC), Thobias Andengenye said he is aware of the challenges facing gender desks, but they should use the resources available to govern desk activities and other government activities in the districts which include the use of the car.
“The gender desk personnel is complaining about the lack of transport, at the same time, the health officer is using the district car going to the village for work why can’t they integrate, they should plan and go together for they are all civil servants,” intoned RC Andengenye.
A resident in Mnanila village Mwanaisha Ramadhan, said as for now, people are ready to provide information on the violence issues for the organ of law is now stationed ready to hear and solve their problems per laws and regulations of the country, hoping that necessary action will be taken against the suspects.
“The presence of a gender desk in our district will help people to report sexual violence incidences done at home and the suspects will be dealt with legally including taking them to the court for the hearing and other law procedures,” she said.
A citizen from Uvinza District Juma Rashid said, lots of criminal cases were not reported because facilities of law and order were absent but we believe the trend will come to an end because we now have the required authorities present within our locality.
“Criminal incidences seems not to exist, that’s not true, there are lots of criminal incidences but they are not reported, with the presence of gender desk, many of citizen will publically report on the hidden criminal offenses,” he guaranteed.
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