Campaigning for her rights: Asia, 17, from Tanzania
“We benefit a lot from these councils as whenever we meet, we discuss a lot of things including our rights. These councils are very important in the fight against violence, child marriages and pregnancies,”
Asia says discrimination and violence against women and children has adverse impacts on the community and the country as whole, and calls for intensive efforts to fight it. She urges the government to strengthen policies and laws to punish those who have been abusing children.
Asia (17) is a form five student from Zanzibar, Tanzania, who has been working to campaign for children rights and the fight against violence in the Isles. She is a member of the children’s council, where she is able to discuss issues affecting children and advocate for positive change. According to Asia, being in the children council has made her very strong and confident through the knowledge and skills to achieve her life dreams. She says children face a number of challenges, which include low awareness about their rights and thus they sometimes fear to report whenever they are abused. She also says that the councils also educate the public especially those in rural areas on the importance of protecting children rights as well as registering them in children councils. Asia says discrimination and violence was not only confined to women but children as well, a situation which calls for intensive efforts to fight it as it has adverse impacts to the community and the country as whole. She urges the government to strengthen policies and laws to punish those who have been abusing children. Asia’s father, Makame, is very supportive of Asia’s campaigning and is thankful to Save the Children and other stakeholders for their efforts to ensure that Zanzibar’s children access their rights and remain protected. Makame says after getting information that there are children councils in the Isles, he came back home and talked to his children including Asia and took all of them to the council for registration. Secilia Bosco / Save the Children Tanzania
“I thank my parents for being so supportive to me, especially since my father has been very close to ensure that I fulfill my duties well, I always feel protected having supportive parents like them.”