Appeal To Govt To Promote Human Rights In Rural Areas

Tanzania Network of Legal Aid Providers (TANLAP) has called upon the government to support its efforts to promote human rights awareness and legal literacy amongst poor and marginalised communities in the country.

During the general annual meeting held on Tuesday in Dar-es-salaam, TANLAP Chairman, Judith Odunga stated that the organisation is committed to increase access to human rights to marginalised communities and overseeing legal activities but it still lacks recognition from the government and donors.

“Some stakeholders including government institutions and donors have narrow understanding of TANLAP’s position as a legal aid network that’s why we are short of funds,” he explained.

He added that it’s important for every citizen to know their human right so as to ensure that they get fair treatment from authorities.

A TANLAP member and Lawyer, Uti Mwang’ang’a, said majority of rural citizens are deprived of their human rights moreover by unprofessional legal authorities simply because they lack knowledge, hence need to be educated on such rights.

“In some regions you find that someone’s claims are being addressed in local governments yet in actual sense they need to be addressed in court,” she said.

Mwang’ang’a insisted on the importance of collaboration between private institutions, government and legal authorities so as to ensure that rural dwellers have access to legal services.

TANLAP was founded in 2006 with the aim to strengthening capacity building on legal literacy and monitoring human rights in the country.

It has conducted researches on major problems such as sexual violence, land disputes and managed to resolve some of them.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN