TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI 5 Septemba, 2023
CHAMA cha Waandishi wa Habari Wanawake Tanzania (TAMWA Zanzibar), Baraza la Habari Tanzania (MCT), Jumuiya ya Waandishi wa Habari za Maendeleo Zanzibar (WAHAMAZA), pamoja na Klabu ya Waandishi wa Habari Zanzibar (ZPC), zikishirikiana na Kamati ya Wataalamu wa masuala ya habari Zanzibar (ZAMECO) wanaviasa vyama vya siasa nchini kuwaruhusu wanachama wao wanawake kutumia haki zao za kujieleza katika maeneo yao ya kazi ili kuimarisha utendaji na hali zao kwa jumla.
Katika uteuzi uliofanywa na Rais wa Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi, Dk. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, aliteuwa wajumbe wawili wanawake na wanaume watano, Tume ambayo ina majukumu ya kusimamia masuala ya uchaguzi Zanzibar.
Pamoja na kuwa wajumbe hao hawakutajwa maeneo waliyotokea; lakini imefahamika kuwa mjumbe mmoja mwanamke ni mwanachama wa chama kimoja cha siasa hapa nchini.
Tamko hili limekuja baada ya tukio la mjumbe huyo kukataa kutoa maoni yake binafsi baada ya hafla ya uapishaji wajumbe hao wapya wa tume hiyo iliyofanyika hivi karibuni Ikulu mjini Zanzibar, licha ya kuwa awali alikubali vizuri. Imesemekana kuwa uongozi wa chama hicho ulimzuia mjumbe huyo mwanamke kuzungumza ili kueleza hisia zake kuhusu kuteuliwa kwa mara ya kwanza kuwa Kamishna wa Tume ya Uchaguzi.
Huwa ni kawaida kwa waandishi wa habari kufanya mahojiano baada ya viongozi kuapishwa ili kuelezea hisia zao na wajibu wao kwa wananchi na hivyo mteule huyo alitegemewa na yeye kutumia nafasi hiyo. Kutoa maoni yake ni suala la haki yake ya msingi kwa ubinaadamu wake na sio kuhusiana na chama atokacho; hivyo haikustahili na si katika jambo jema kumzuia hasa kama mwenyewe alikuwa tayari kuzungumza na waandishi wa habari.
Matokeo ya kadhia hiyo ni kwamba habari zilizotoka kuhusiana na Tume hiyo zilikosa sauti za wanawake na hivyo kuendeleza mfumo dume wa wanaume kutawala katika vyombo vya maamuzi na vyombo vya habari ambapo sasa hivi dunia na nchi ziko katika jitihada za kuinua sauti na uwakilishi wa wanawake.
Katika kikao chake cha hivi karibuni, mashirika hayo ya habari pamoja na waandishi nguli, pamoja na mambo mengine, walizungumzia tukio hilo na kueleza kusikitishwa kwao na kitendo hicho cha kumkosesha mwanasiasa mwanamke tena kijana nafasi ya kujieleza mbele ya waandishi wa habari.
Ikumbukwe kuwa idadi ya wanawake nchini Tanzania, kwa mujibu wa Sensa ya Taifa na Makazi ya mwaka 2022, ni zaidi ya asilimia 50; kwa hivyo ni muhimu mchango wao ukaonekana na kutambuliwa kwani nao ni sehemu ya nguvu ya kufanikisha maendeleo hayo kisiasa, kiuchumi na kijamii ikianzia na uwakilishi wao katika kupanga hayo maendeleo.
Katiba ya Zanzibar ya mwaka 1984, Ibara ya 18. (1) inaelekeza kwamba “… bila ya kuathiri sheria za nchi, kila mtu yuko huru kuwa na maoni yoyote na kutoa nje mawazo yake, na kutafuta, kupokea na kutoa habari na dhana kupitia chombo chochote, bila ya kujali mipaka ya nchi, na pia ana uhuru wa mawasiliano yake kutoingiliwa kati.”
Nini maana yake? Kwamba mtu yeyote anayejaribu kuzuia mtu mwengine kutumia haki yake hiyo inayoagizwa na Katiba ya Nchi, ajue kuwa anachokifanya ni kumvunjia haki yake ya kiraia na kadhalika ya kibinaadamu.
Katika kujenga mustakbali mwema wa nchi na ustawi wa makundi yote wakiwemo wanawake, ambao kwa miaka mingi wameachwa nyuma, ni muhimu sana kuzisaidia sauti za wanawake na makundi mengine ya pembezoni, ikiwemo kupewa nafasi ya kujieleza na kutoa maoni yao ya vile wanavyoyaona masuala ya kimaendeleo nchini kwao na kwengineko.
Imetolewa kwa pamoja na:
Chama cha Waandishi wa Habari Wanawake Tanzania (TAMWA ZANZIBAR);
Baraza la Habari Tanzania (MCT), Zanzibar;
Jumuiya ya Waandishi wa Habari za Maendeleo Zanzibar (WAHAMAZA);
Klabu ya Waandishi wa Habari Zanzibar (ZPC); na
Kamati ya Wataalamu wa Vyombo vya Habari Zanzibar (ZAMECO).
Zanzibar.
PRESS RELEASE 05th September 2023.
In a joint press statement issued by Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA Zanzibar), Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) Zanzibar, Union for Journalists who write Development Stories Zanzibar (WAHAMAZA), and Zanzibar Press Club (ZPC) in collaboration with Zanzibar Media Committee (ZAMECO) urge political parties in the country to allow their privileged female members to use their basic right to express themselves within their portfolios as a chance to strengthen their performance and the wellbeing of the society.
In a recent appointment made by the President of Zanzibar and the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, two female and five male members were appointed as members of the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), a national body that oversees electoral affairs in Zanzibar.
Despite the fact that the press statement which was issued about the appointment did not mention their working identities, it was known that one female member is a member of one political party in the country.
This declaration has come after an unusual event of the female member of ZEC who refused to express her views after the swearing-in ceremony of the new members of the commission held recently at the State House in Zanzibar.
Despite the fact that she had initially accepted to talk to the press, it was alleged that the party top leadership had barred her to talk or express her views about her first time appointment as a member of the election management body.
It is a usual practice for journalists to conduct interviews after leaders are sworn in to express their feelings and a way of making commitments to the general public and the said appointee was expected to follow the suit.
Giving her opinion is a matter of basic right to humanity and not related to the party she comes from; so it was not appropriate and not acceptable to bar her from facing the press.
The result of the matter is that the information that came out about the Commission lacked the voices of women and thus perpetuated patriarchal ideology of male domination in the decision-making bodies and the media where today the world and the country are striving to raise the voice and representation of women.
In its recent meeting, the media organizations, among other things, discussed the incident and expressed their dismay at the act of depriving a woman and indeed a young woman of the opportunity to express herself in front of journalists.
It should be noted that the number of women in Tanzania, according to National Population and Housing Census of 2022, it is more than 50 percent; therefore, it is important that their contribution be seen and recognized as they are part of the power to achieve that political, economic and social development starting with their representation in planning that development.
The Constitution of Zanzibar of 1984, Article 18. (1) States that “… Without prejudice to the relevant laws of the land, every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to freedom of seek, receive and impart or disseminate information and ideas through expression any media regardless of national frontiers and also has the right of freedom from interference with his communications”.
What does it mean? This means that anyone who tries to prevent another person from using his right prescribed by the Constitution of the country should know that what she/he is doing is violating his civil and other human rights.
For the future of the country and prosperity of all groups including women, who for many years have been left behind, it is very imperative to support the voices of women and other marginal groups, including being given the opportunity to express themselves and express their views on what they see as developmental issues within the country and beyond.
Issued in association with:
Tanzania Media Women’s Association Zanzibar (TAMWA ZANZIBAR);
Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), Zanzibar;
Jumuiya ya Waandishi wa Habari za Maendeleo Zanzibar (WAHAMAZA);
Zanzibar Press Club (ZPC); and
Zanzibar Media Committee (ZAMECO).
Zanzibar.