Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Children Intensifies

It had an international look when member states from Africa led by UN mission from New York gathered to flag off climbers of mount Kilimanjaro for Kili Climb UNiTE Campain to End Violence against Women and children.

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete flagged off a total of 65 climbers comprised of international and local journalists, movie stars, musicians, government officials, youth and ordinary people at Marangu Gate, Moshi on 5 March 2012.

The Kili Climb was one of the activities for the International Women's Day 8 March 2012 with a theme "Speak Out, Climb Up" to end violence agains women and girls. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to speak out against gender based violence is a very strong and clear message and action, that silence is no longer an option.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was hard and arduous.  Some almost died in their mission to end gender violence in Africa. As one journalist from The Citizen newspaper, who happened to be at the campaign said, ‘the torturous climb reflected the pain that women and girls go through when abused. Most of the men who climbed the mountain agreed to respect and to advocate for women’s rights after the climbing experience’.

One of the aim was to mobilize national commitments from governments, civil society organizations, the private sector and development partners to take action to prevent violence against women, provide service to survivors and end impunity by perpetrators of the violence by 2015.

This commitment will be witnessed on the 28 May 2012 when an International Association of Women in Radio and Television hold a Regional Conference on Gender Based Violence against Women and Children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Under the theme Regional Conference on Gender Based Violence: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, a total of 25 international women in radio and television will join their local partners to map out strategies using the media to foster the campaign through.

During the conference different presentations will be made followed by discussions and group work. The conference is also expected to come up with a communique which will be circulated to different stakeholders including the government as a way to enhance further partnership towards the campaign.

Eight newspapers monitored before the Kili Climb Campaign show that issues related to gender based violence are inadequately reported. Between January and March 2012  Uhuru was the least in publishing 62 stories related to gender out  of those only 3.1% were on gender based violence while Nipashe was slightly high for publishing 5.1%. The rest Business Times and Mwananchi faired almost equally to Uhuru newspaper.

This result causes alarm of many cases on gender based violence go unreported. It is our hope that this regional conference will come up with new media approach to make voices of heard survivors heard!

The government should support such efforts by media fratenity in order to prevent violence against women and children, provide services to survivors of violence and promote justice and end impunity. LONG LIVE IAWRT!