CHAIRPERSON of Zanzibar House of Representatives Mwanaasha Khamis Juma has asked the Department of Constitution and Legal Aid Services to expand its services to rural areas and reach marginalised groups, including women and children facing challenges emanating from marriage conflicts and divorce.

The department is domiciled within the President’s Office (Constitution, Legal Affairs, Public Services, and Good Governance).

She made call yesterday at a symposium held here as part of celebrations to mark Legal Aid Week in the isles.

She said there are still many challenges that face women who do not get legal help due to various challenges, including lack of access to legal services.

She named other challenges as loss of inheritance rights when their husbands die as well as being deprived of landed property they were supposed to own when divorced.

She said women also lose their rights in land ownership as part of three acres given by the government of Zanzibar which they are supposed to be the number one beneficiary.

He asked the department to provide legal services to groups that are usually ignored mostly women and children.

She asked the department to be ready to bring reforms in the laws that they feel need to be worked on with the aim of bringing efficiency and eliminating injustices and oppression of women.

Director of Constitution and Legal Aid Services Hanifa Ramadhan Saidi said they were working to ensure that legal aid services reach all groups including women and children.

She said that since the establishment of the department about six years ago, the department has noticed that women are in dire need of legal services.