THE government has urged people all over the country to report incidents of gender-based violence (GBV) so that law enforcement agencies can take legal action against those responsible for such acts.

Vice President Dr Philip Mpango issued this appeal at the opening of the Tanzania Women Judges Association (TAWJA) commemorative meeting here at its 25th anniversary, being held from January 19th to 23rd.

Public institutions, private organizations and international agencies operating in the country need to join in the fight for gender equality and women's rights, he said.

Reporting such incidents would help combat the growing problem of gender-based violence, now an increasingly troubling issue in society, he said, praising the association for its contributions to legal reforms.

These include the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act (PCCA) of 2007 as it now includes provisions addressing sexual harassment to curb abuse of power, he said.

TAWJA has developed guidelines for judges and magistrates on handling gender-based violence cases and has facilitated exchange of experience with judges globally to strengthen gender equality and human rights outreach education, he stated.

TAWJA is marking its Silver Jubilee under the theme "celebrating diversity and solidarity in gender equality," which the VP described as a fitting theme as it highlights the ongoing work of TAWJA in promoting gender equality and combating gender-based violence.

It fosters the recognition that gender differences should not serve as a basis for discrimination but rather compel solidarity and equality, he stated, stressing that justice and equality facilitate the building of a society that values the dignity of every individual, regardless of gender, race, income, education or origin.

He said that the government is committed to enhancing gender equality and empowering women, setting up a dedicated ministry for the purpose, tasked with Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, and responsible for overseeing gender equality initiatives.

"Under President Samia's leadership, the government has improved justice delivery, including ensuring gender equality at various levels of the judiciary and other sectors," he declared.

While progress has been made, there is still more work to be done in advancing gender equality, he stated, noting that women make up 33 percent of judges at the Court of Appeal and 38 percent at the High Court. 

This gender presence is also evident in other positions, with women constituting 33 percent of court registrars, 48.7 percent of deputy registrars, 50 percent of resident magistrates, and 41 percent of primary court magistrates, elaborated.

These figures reflect sincere efforts to achieve gender equality in the country's judiciary, he said, while Chief Justice Prof. Ibrahim Juma made similar remarks in relation to the Tanzania Judiciary Association (TJA).

In order to thrive there must be a sufficient number of female judges and magistrates, he said, pointing out that from 1921 to 1961, the judiciary did not provide employment opportunities for female judges or magistrates.

Considerable progress had been made by the Tanzanian government to increase the number of women in the judiciary, even as there is still a long way to go to achieve 50-50 gender balance, he stated.

Data from the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary as of January 15, 2025, shows annual employment trends from 2000 (when TAWJA was established) to December 2024, with the government having enabled the Judiciary Service Commission to employ a total of 1,441 magistrates, he said.

Over the past 25 years, the commission has employed 688 female magistrates, representing 48 percent of the total, where 753 male magistrates were employed.

The trend indicates that female magistrates are nearing a 50 percent balance or may surpass it, as seen in years where female magistrates outnumbered their male counterparts, he said.

In 2015 with 75 women the level was 65 percent.as 40 magistrates were men, representing 35 percent of total; in 2018 with 72 women the figure represented 60 percent while 49 magistrates were men, about 40 percent of total,

In 2021 courts had 74 women magistrates, representing 54 percent plus 63 men magistrates at 46 percent. Last year 56 women magistrates were appointed, representing 50.45 percent of total, while 55 magistrates were men, stranding at 49.54 percent, he added.