As a radio presenter my responsibilities are to prepare and present programmes and being very proactive in communicating with the public at large and occasionally with the government.

As a radio presenter my responsibilities are to prepare and present programmes and being very proactive in communicating with the public at large and occasionally with the government. So I produced my stories because there is alarming increase of gender based violence (GBV) across Zanzibar with women, particularly those in the rural areas, being the most affected group. Much as the Zanzibar government and civil society have tried to address the problem, women have often been subjected to battering, abandonment, unwanted pregnancies and rape. There are a number of factors contributing to the situation which include womenâ € ™s ignorance of the policies and laws regarding violence against women (VAW), the incompetence of the VAW related bodies like police, hospitals and the courts of law. The bulk of women are unaware of their social economic rights and much more so of their civil and legal rights. These women have therefore been accepting whatever pain and bitter treatment they get from men without reporting them to the authoritative agencies like the police and courts of law. The matter becomes more complicated when these agencies fail to treat the women in a holistic way when the case is reported. Women then get disappointed and decide to drop the charges all together. For example, the police force has been constantly accused of being partial and judgemental in the cases. They also allegedly demand bribes from the accused and also humiliate them more when explaining the cases. Moreover, I am determined to give a voice, especially to those who are at a disadvantage or in poverty and do not have the opportunity to speak for themselves.
Example: A 13 year old girl was allegedly raped by two men of about 35 years old in Kimbuni Pemba during the late evening. The test from the medical doctor at Chakechake hospital also proved that the girl was raped. However, the police convinced the survivorâ € ™s parents to resolve the case at the police station by accepting 800,000 from the culprits on August, 2008. Because of the parentsâ € ™ lack of knowledge about laws and procedures they eventually accepted the police deal and therefore the case was closed. According to the parents of the survivor, up to now they have only received 400,000 of the 800,000 and they have not heard from the culprits since then.

Download : 19046_mainapplicationtanzaniamediagrace-kiondojh0514.doc