Deputy Minister Emphasizes Support in Combating Violence and Moral Decay

Deputy Minister of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Mwanaidi, has urged the Parliament and the broader community to support efforts against violence and moral decay in the country.

Deputy Minister Mwanaidi made these remarks while addressing various concerns raised by Members of Parliament during the presentation of the Ministry's Budget Estimates for the Fiscal Year 2024/25.

She stated that the government, through the Ministry, is coordinating and overseeing initiatives for Child Care, Growth, and Early Childhood Development, which are crucial foundations for fostering a morally sound family and nation.

She called on the community to focus on child upbringing by ensuring they spend time discussing various issues and challenges with their children, especially in this era of scientific and technological advancements.

To ensure children are protected from violence and moral decay, the Ministry, in collaboration with other sectoral ministries, continues to amend various laws concerning children's issues.

"Our Ministry, in collaboration with other ministries such as the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Constitution and Law, will discuss and find ways to establish a law that directly protects children in the use of the internet," emphasized Deputy Minister Mwanaidi.

Regarding the welfare of the elderly in the country, Deputy Minister Mwanaidi stated that the Ministry is in the final stages of revising the Elderly Policy to align it with current times and address the challenges facing the elderly in the country.

"Key aspects considered in this policy include educating the elderly to prepare for retirement, health services, psychological support, enabling environments, and empowering the elderly to adapt to existing technological changes," said Deputy Minister Mwanaidi.

Concerning Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Deputy Minister Mwanaidi mentioned that the Ministry continues to coordinate them. To this end, it has launched a digital map to identify the locations and activities of these organizations, inaugurated by the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Isdory Mpango, during the 2023 Annual NGOs Forum.

"By April 2024, the map has identified 10,538 NGOs and shown the activities they are engaged in to ensure proper coordination and eliminate organizations that might promote moral decay," emphasized Deputy Minister Mwanaidi.

The Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania has approved the budget of TZS 67.9 billion for the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups for the fiscal year.