WILDAF official tells men to expose their sufferings

AS the 16 days of the National gender activism campaign against violence and human rights is going on, an organization which stands for women in law and development in Africa (WILDAF) has urged men in the country to expose any acts of violence being committed against them by their spouses. An official with the WILDAF Tanzania chapter expressed the concern recently in Dar es Salaam in a move to favour men who are subjected to various forms of violence and made it clear that, the campaign is not only for women but also for men. Speaking in an exclusive interview WILDAF Director in Tanzania Dr. Judith Odunga said that, his office has done a research and found out that, there are some acts of gender violence being committed to men by their wives who in turn are afraid to expose such mischief before the society. “Although there is increased human right violations to women which is seen at a higher rate percentage in Africa, men are also subjected to a certain extent with the humiliations caused by their spouses, but are unable to speak out such sufferings” she said adding that, it’s high time for men also to liberate themselves and be free from gender violence. Dr. Judith who is currently a national coordinator of the campaign which ends on Monday countrywide has urged men not to shy and instead they should also join forces in support of the campaign by revealing out what makes them feels unhappy once mistreated in whatever ways by their wives. However, she has urged them to join forces to oppose this malpractice, and explained her emotions urging them to emulate their fellow Kenyans who have gone to the extent of forming an association that stand for their rights. Apart from men, Dr. Judith has also thrown a challenge to the government urging its machineries such as police and the judiciary to put more emphasis in its fight against gender violence especially to women whereby the malpractice is growing at an alarming rate in the country. She has also urged that, to make a good success if not to reduce a malpractice, she has asked the government to introduce educational curriculum in the national teaching syllabuses which will put an awareness to school children starting in primary level understand the impact of the issue in debate about their rights and gender activism in society. The campaign on gender activism which started early this week ends on 10^th next month, and carries a message that opens people’s mind to oppose violence against women and comprehensively insists for a joint accountability, which has seen with a wide spectrum groups of people still practices acts of violation against women. According to WILADF acts of gender violence have been increasing to a greater extent and statistics carried by the organization in newspaper shows that in 2012 alone there were 6,001 cases of violence which were re[ported in newspapers compared to 3,542 cases reported in 2011. This is an increase of 90 percent. The outcome of the research carried by the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) in 2010 shows that, gender violence has been committed in various ways such as beatings, female circumcision, raping, women killings, killings of people with albinism, women inheritance, violence at homes and many others. According to Dr. Judith, the victims suffers the great and have their physical bodies deteriorated due to this mistreatments and moreover others are more psychologically affected an aspect that the situation undermines their economic well being together with the nation as well. Analyzing the impact of it she noted that, it inwardly causes stress and a victim overcome permanent disability and sometimes leads to death. Despite of this, she is optimistic that a society might be applying positive changes that cold avert such kinds of attitude to dominate people’s mindset. The essence of the 16 day gender activism program came into being after the killings of the 16 women who were killed in Dominica in 1960. As from November 25^th 1991, the United Nations adopted the day and commemorated it as a special world day to be honoured as a day to commemorate women violence. The day will be climaxed on 10^th December this year as the International day of the special declaration of human rights and also to insist that, the day is a sign of relating violence against women and insisting that it is a violation of human rights.