PRESS RELEASE

GERMAN FIRST LADY MEETS SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE AT TEMEKE POLICE

GENDER AND
CHILDRENS DESK
3 February 2015, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania - Visiting
German First Lady Daniela Schadt had a compelling interaction with survivors of
violence at the Changombe Police Gender and Childrens Desk.
Schadt and her partner, German President Joachim Gauck, are on a three-day visit
to Tanzania and today visited Temeke districts Police Gender and Childrens Desk.
A patron of UNICEF Germany, Schadt heard the stories of survivors of violence.
"I am very impressed by the life-changing work you are doing for the women and
children of Temeke," Schadt was quoted telling the police officers at the Gender and
Childrens Desk.
With support from the United Nations (UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women), the
Tanzania Police Force is committed to improving its response to survivors of Gender
Based Violence (GBV) and victims of child abuse. At the heart of the Polices
response to GBV and child abuse are the Gender and Childrens Desks specialist
units in each police station staffed by trained officers able to handle such cases. In
August 2011, the Inspector General for Police committed to establishing Desks in all
police stations in Tanzania. The vision of the Tanzania Police Force is to ensure that
every child, woman or man that reports to a Desk is treated with dignity and
sensitivity and that every case is handled effectively and efficiently. The Police
Partner Coordination Group on GBV and child abuse, convened by the Police and
comprised of development partners, NGO partners and relevant Ministries,
Departments and Agencies, is committed to support the Police to realise this
vision.
Since the establishment of Gender and Childrens Desks, the number of reported
cases has increased significantly in Changombe. The Desk officers conduct
awareness raising sessions in schools, in community meetings and in bars. But,
most notably, word of mouth from people who have been assisted by the Desk
encourages victims and their families to come and ask for help. The Changombe
Desk, which was renovated and equipped with UNICEF assistance, provided support
to 269 victims of gender based violence and child abuse in 2014 compared to just
71 cases in 2009.
Ending violence is everyones business. All violence against children can be
prevented, said Birgithe Lund-Henriksen, UNICEF Tanzanias Chief of Child
Protection. Promoting and providing services for children and their families that
identify, offer help, support and care, as well as mechanisms to report incidences of

violence, is one of the key strategies UNICEF is implementing to prevent and

respond to violence. Services help children cope with their situation, and also break
the cycle of abuse and reduce further harm. We commend the Police for its
dedication to ending violence in communities by ensuring that there are fully
equipped Desks in every police station across the country. UNICEF is proud to be
partnering with the Police in realizing this vision.
The United Nations has supported the Tanzania Police Force to develop a 3 year
action plan (2013 2016) which focuses on improving the infrastructure ofthe
Police Gender and Childrens Desks, enhancing the skills and knowledge of staff
working at the desks to effectively handle cases of GBV and Child Abuse, and
raising awareness of the public on how and where to report cases. The action plan
sets out clear objectives, activities, and targets for enhancing Gender and
Childrens Desks for the next three years. The Tanzania Police Force selected six
priority regions to start with in implementing the action plan (Dodoma, Iringa,
Kilimanjaro, Mara, Mbeya, and Dar es Salaam).
The Violence Against Children Survey, launched by the Ministry of Community
Development, Gender and Children and UNICEF in 2011, highlights the specific
vulnerability of children to physical and sexual violence in Tanzania: nearly 1 in 3
girls and 1 in 7 boys experience sexual violence and over 70 per cent of both girls
and boys experience physical violence before the age of 18 years. However, most
survivors never tell anyone about their experience and relatively few cases are
reported to the Police.
*****************************
For further information, including interviews or a detailed list of activities
in Tanzania, please contact:
Sandra Bisin, UNICEF Tanzania, Mobile: +255 787 600079, sbisin@unicef.org
Jacqueline
Namfua,
jnamfua@unicef.org

UNICEF

Tanzania,

Mobile:

+255

754

711073,