Working to end violence against women and children in Zanzibar

Violence against women and children (VAWC) is a daily reality in Zanzibar. According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2015/16, 14 per cent of women have experienced physical violence in Zanzibar.

Trafficking in persons (TiP), is a form of VAWC often a result of gender inequality and the lower social status of women and children in families, com­munities and societies.

The International Organi­zation for Migration (IOM), through the Zanzibar Joint Programme (ZJP), is collabo­rating with the Government of Zanzibar to end VAWC in Zanzibar, and, in January 2019, held a two-day train­ing on commercial exploita­tion, including the trafficking of women and children, with the Anti-Trafficking Secretar­iat.

The training brought together 20 participants from respon­sible government ministries as well as Representatives from Immigration Services, the Police Department, the Office of the Director of Pub­lic Prosecutions (DPP) and the Judiciary.

The training aimed to strengthen coordination between duty bearers in Zanzibar to address the traf­ficking of women and chil­dren as a form of VAWC and increase the understanding and enforcement of the law with the goal of building a coordinated response for the delivery of protection, assis­tance and referral services for women and child survivors of trafficking and violence.

Guest of Honour, Ms. Wahida Maabad Mohammed, Direc­tor of Elders and Social Wel­fare Department, Zanzibar, and a member of the Anti-traf­ficking Secretariat, urged par­ticipants to cascade their new knowledge to fellow govern­ment officers and the com­munity to end the trafficking of women and children and other forms of violence. A network of individuals who are committed to addressing trafficking and other forms of violence in Zanzibar was established at the training.