THE government has embarked on a move to review the Child Act before it is amended to match with the current and future needs.
This was unveiled on Saturday by the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, saying the decision has come after the government established the presence of some gaps in the section 29 of the Child Act of 2009.
The section in question provides an environment for enforcement of exclusion order upon the child being convicted by the court for breaking the law.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Dr Gwajima said, already, the ministry has formed a special taskforce that works closely with the of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in reviewing the act for proper amendment
"We have established some gaps in the section 29 of the Child Act, and already the government is in the move to work on it accordingly," she said.
She said the government has also formed a taskforce for protection of children from violence through digital platforms.
According to her, the taskforce will work together with other stakeholders to ensure children are well protected from effects of digital transformations, a move that assures a brighter future for the coming generations for the national interest.
"The ministry plans to spend 177m/- on this task that will be carried out in the current fiscal year 2022/23," she added, noting that her docket is working closely with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology to ensure children are well protected from humiliation acts while at school.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
She said available statistics show that 40 per cent of the violence incidents against children occur in schools and the remaining percentages are from outside the learning environment, calling for combined efforts by all members of the public in ending the challenge.
Expounding further, Dr Gwajima said the ministry will also coordinate establishment of children centres to complement 30 facilities that were built in the financial year 2021/2022.
Last year, the ministry supervised construction and establishments of 30 children centres of which 20 are in Dodoma and the remaining 10 are in Dar es Salaam, which are now taking care of the 813 children.
"In the current fiscal year, the government will spend 383.7m/- in establishing more facilities with a target to hit 100. We shall also continue with the role of supervising, overseeing and registering the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)," she added.
Moreover, the government has planned to spent 168.9m/- in for supervising the special desks that were established to promote and enhance gender equality as well as ending violence against women.
A total of 123m/- will also be spent on launching the gender equality desks in the higher education learning institutions and other public places. This will play a huge role in curbing gender violence in the mentioned areas.
