Africa-Press – Tanzania. RULING party CCM Secretary General Daniel Chongolo has directed government leaders in Mtwara, to set up a strategic development plan that will ensure girls in the region are taken to school and have the opportunity to complete all levels of education.
Mr Chongolo made the call yesterday here when addressing the regional government leaders and CCM members at Masasi District Mtwara Region.
He said the plan should sensitise the community on the need and significance of girls’ education for their benefit and the entire community.
“Girls’ education should be given a priority by coming up with programmes that will see girls in Mtwara attend schools lean and feel safe by discouraging bad socio-cultural practices that prevent girls’ education in the region,” he said.
He also tasked the leaders and education stakeholders to take serious actions for those, who led to the decline of education standard for girls in Mtwara.
He said women born in Mtwara are normaly strong, self-reliant and hard working for their betterment but lack education to develop them further.
“We should let the girls in Mtwara have an opportunity to get education to enable the region to acquire more educated women to develop their region and the country at large,” he said.
Addressing residents in different villages in Masasi District, Chongolo urged parents to abstain from exposing girls into early marriages and other factors affecting girls’ access to education.
“The acts of marrying off teenage girls should be stopped and allow them to go to school, learn and be educated to participate in the formal labor market and earn higher,” he said.
Early marriage, traditional ceremonies (unyago), social perception and social roles are among the key socio-cultural factors hindering girls’ education in Mtwara region.
Meanwhile, Mr Chongolo has directed the regional leaders in Mtwara to launch mass media programmes in the region to educate and encourage the people in the region to participate in the 2022 Population and Housing Census.
He said the programme should ensure many people take part in the crucial exercise in order to enable better development plans for the people of Mtwara.
