Tanzania Youth Say NO

29 November 2009 —On the sands of Coco Coco Beach in Dar es Salaam, nearly 300 youth gathered to show their commitment to ending violence against women (VAW). The event was organized by the United Nations Association of Tanzania (UNA) and supported by UNIFEM- Tanzania, East African Television, East Africa Radio, International Youth Fellowship, and Pili Pili Entertainment. The guest of honor was the District Commissioner of Kinondoni disctrict and the keynote speaker was Emelda Mwamanga, managing director of Relim Entertainment Ltd. and a role model for young women in Tanzania.

Emelda reminded young women that they are not alone and she encouraged “young women and men in every corner of our country to value themselves and Say NO to abuse, Say NO to rape, Say NO to boyfriend beating! Every woman has a right to dream big and be that somebody she deserves to be!”

The concert marked the launch of UNA’s dala dala (public buses) campaign against VAW. Stickers addressing VAW were placed on dala dalas, a crucial space where  women and girls suffer repeated acts of sexual harassment. With the placement of the stickers, the driver and conductor of the dala dala have committed to addressing VAW on their buses. Following the placement of the stickers, dances from International Youth Fellowship, music from O-Ten, Mwasiti, and Stara Thomas and a theatrical play depicting VAW in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship entertained the crowd. Youth were introduced to the Say NO-UNiTE campaign and made their commitments.

As a follow-up to this event, UNA will be hosting a symposium in Dar es Salaam to engage youth in the dialogue on VAW and connect them to local NGOs for volunteer opportunities on VAW initiatives. Further, with support from East African Television, UNA will be participating in the popular television series 5 Connect. Survivors and VAW experts will be discussing VAW issues targeted towards youth.  

Youth have been a largely untapped resource, in Tanzania, as VAW advocates for changing behaviors and actions. This was a hugely successful event, full of energy and enthusiasm that strayed from the traditional advocacy efforts in Tanzania by targeting youth through entertainment .