Photo: Robert Okanda/The Daily News

A section of members of the diplomatic community, activists and Dar es Salaam residents march during the launch of the 16 days of 'Scold Violence Against Gender'.

REPORTED cases in the media on gender based violence have almost doubled over the last one year, according to a report by Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) Tanzania.

The national coordinator for Tanzania's 2012, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, Dr Judith Odunga, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that research carried out by WiLDAF this year shows that about 6,001 cases were reported in media as compared to 3,542 in 2011.

Explaining the irony, that while information about the bad practice is on the increase through the media, incidences of the violence have gone up. She said violence against women includes physical violence, genital mutilation, killings, albino killings and domestic violence.

The announcement came ahead of the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence in Dar es Salaam tomorrow. It will be in partnership with Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Children.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership in 1991.

Participants chose the dates November 25, International Day against Violence against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights.

She said the 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

This year's theme is "Let's challenge militarism and end violence against women". She said the campaign has been used as an organising strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

She also said that given that background, Tanzania is joining the rest of the world for 16 days to protest against the vice. The campaign, to be launched tomorrow, will go to various regions in the country.

She said the campaign goes to Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Coast, Dodoma, Singida, Kigoma, Tabora, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Tanga and Arusha, Mwanza, Shinyanga , Mara, Mwara, Lindi, Mbeya, Iringa and Songea. Various activities will take place in the 16 days including public debates on various subjects surrounding the issue.