Tanzania: Human trafficking

By Alex Kachelewa

Dar es Salaam, 3 August – Many Tanzanian cities are filled with young women seeking employment and hopes for a better life. Many in places such as the Dodoma region hope to find jobs that require unskilled labour as most have very experience and are often minors. These young girls leave home in the country to seek much comfortable jobs abroad or in big cities such as the capital Dar es Salaam and the tourist hub, Zanzibar.

With growing distress over poverty and unemployment, a form of trade has spread its wings over Tanzanian shores. Human trafficking is increasing day to day, and many girls of school going age, are forced into jobs such as domestic work and farming. As these women are trafficked from city to city, they find themselves in situations where their rights are not respected or heard.

Poverty has fuelled the human trafficking system of Tanzania as many families especial those in villages, will agree to be trafficked by ‘agents’ who promise them a good life in all forms of labour such as domestic work. Many leave their villages with  expectations of a good life abroad or in cities but often find nothing

Many of the girls employed as domestic workers are children between the age of 13 and 17, which is against the law. They quite often are unaware of their rights and are prone to many forms of abuse, sexual exploitation and many times being under paid.

The Government now is trying to take action against this by formulating a gender policy that protects women from exploitation of any kind and ensures that they become more involved in decision-making positions.

Through the ministry of work, a task force was created to tackle the problem. There also has been an increase in media coverage on human trafficking which has raised awareness on the issue and helped lower the rates of the illegal business.

The article aimed at sensitising Tanzanian communities of the effect of child labour especially that of young girls as domestic workers.
it also aimed at pushing the government and the public sector, especially those in decision making positions to take action on the matter..

It is highly important that the voice of young girls especially those directly affected by the trade is heard that the mind-set of societies is impacted and changed. The government should also take create and implement measures to eradicate the root of the problem, which is poverty.

Alex Kachelewa is a Tanzanian journalist who works for Tumaini Media, which is a community newspaper. He wrote a story about human trafficking in Tanzania for the Tanzania  Gender and News Summit 2018.