Tanzania: Women push for gender equality in new constitution

[ismnotwasm]

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (Thomson Reuters Foundation)— Women’s rights groups in Tanzania are demanding that a new constitution clearly define the word ‘person’ to mean a man and a woman in a bid to promote gender equality.

The groups have also suggested significant changes in the electoral systems with the aim to give women more political presence in a new constitution whose draft was presented in June this year for public scrutiny.

Debating the proposed law at a meeting organised recently by the Tanzania Women Cross Party Platform (TWCPP), in the town of Bagamoyo, representatives from the groups said the draft constitution in its present form overlooked important gender elements.

Anna Abdallah, the chairwoman of the group, said that the draft constitution is gender blind since it does not expressly recognise the roles of a man and a woman.

“The constitution should define the word ‘person’ because in some communities people believe a person is a man and not a woman,” she said.

She observed that although article 46 of the draft constitution guarantees some women’s rights it doesn’t fully address the issues that affect women

“We do not want only one article explaining everything about gender, we need them covered broadly in the constitution,” she said.

Women’s rights activists among other things, are lobbying for a 50-50 representation of women in Tanzania politics, the right to own land and widow’s right to inherit property and protection against gender -based violence.

Ruth Meena, from Women Fund Tanzania said gender equality was an important issue in the new constitution because without it women would still be oppressed.

http://www.trust.org/item/20131004020943-k4abc/?source=hptop

[seabeyond]

1. "clearly define the word ‘person’ to mean a man and a woman" down to the basics, wow.

doesnt that say a whole fuckin lot. actually everything.

do we have the definition as both gender and not just men, lol?