Tanzania: Women Call for Review of 'Unfair' Laws

SEVERAL women, who turned out at meetings where the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) collected people's views on the new constitution, called for review of laws on inheritance, divorce and protection of widows, saying the current ones were weak, obsolete and gender biased.

Ms Zena Zuberi, a resident of Kilwa Kivinje, told members of the commission that the law should protect widows from losing property earned during marriage. "In many parts of Tanzania including Kilwa, it is common for widows to be kicked out of their matrimonial homes and leave behind children, houses and all other property earned during marriage. This is unfair," she said. Ms Zuberi called for establishment of funds to support, develop and promote the welfare of widows.

Ms Zainab Hassan, a resident of Nyangao village in Lindi Rural District, faulted the law that allows polygamy, saying the system belittles women and is counterproductive. She further said laws on upkeep after divorce were unfair. "The laws that are currently being applied are obsolete and moribund. There are provisions that require a father to pay 2,000/- only a month as upkeep allowance?" she wondered.

Other women listed several laws that favour men at workplaces and opportunities in accessing academic institutions and jobs. Ms Mwajuma Rajab at Nanjilinji in Kilwa District said the number of women in parliament, judiciary and other important decision making bodies was still very low. "We have very few women who are ministers, regional commissioners and members of parliament representing constituencies," she explained.

She further called for extensive public education to "brainwash" people against patriachial attitudes and culture. Ms Somoe Mchopa, a resident of Nyengedi in Lindi rural District, said apart from bad laws women in many parts of Tanzania are subjected to archaic and barbaric cultures including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and domestic violence.

FGM, also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."

FGM is typically carried out on girls from a few days old to puberty. It may take place in a hospital, but is usually performed, without anaesthesia, by a traditional circumciser using a knife, razor or scissors. It is practised in 28 countries in western, eastern and north-eastern Africa, in parts of the Middle East and within some immigrant communities in Europe, North America and Australasia.