By Sarah Kitainda and Sr. Maureen Ogundeph
Photo: Sarah Kitainde
One of the World Women Observatories ambassadors from Tanzania, Sarah Kitainda, has had the pleasure of connecting with National Television, Tanzania Broadcasting Cooperation (TBC), and women with children who have disabilities to talk about gender-based violence whereby most of those women have been abandoned by their husbands or partners. Being invited to talk on this theme of gender-based violence on National Television is an indication that this is an issue in Tanzania and there is a concern to address it.
The mission of the World Women Observatory is to give visibility to women, especially the most vulnerable ones, who seem “invisible”, both in terms of their suffering and their potential, to inspire and generate pastoral strategies by the Church, synergies by civil society NGOs, public policies by States, and contributions to the international agenda that favour the integral human development of women and that of their families, communities, and peoples.
Sarah, who is one of the ambassadors, has always felt the zeal to network with others to touch the lives of these women and children.
Sarah was also invited during this year to the International Women's Day to facilitate the event of Female Bus Conductors. For a long time, bus conductor has been a job carried out by males only, but with time young females have ventured into it, as they carry on this job they face many challenges, yet they have not got any preparation nor skills on how to manage the job with their dignity upheld. Sarah explained to these bus conductors how they can protect themselves and others when they face violence using laws because most of them are facing sexual harassment and gender discrimination. She also tried to convince them to be ambassadors when they are working to help anyone who is in trouble, at least to keep one child safe every day.