‘Don’t negotiate with men who impregnate your daughters’

MARA: MARA Regional Commissioner Col Evance Mtambi has warned parents who engage in negotiations with men who impregnate schoolgirls, stating that such actions violate the child’s right to education.

Worse still, the girls’ parents support abortions to help the impregnators avoid legal consequences, he added, during a public rally in Kigeraetuma village, Musoma District, recently.

Likewise, he pointed out that parents who participate in these financial negotiations are often the same ones, who visit school heads to complain about the issue, while claiming they have never met the perpetrators.

“As a result, early pregnancy among secondary school girls has become a common issue in the region,” said the RC, advising the community to practice moral parenting to prevent early pregnancies and help the girls achieve their life dreams.

“The government is strictly against early pregnancies and all forms of gender-based violence.

Abortion is also illegal in our country.

“We are thankful for your cooperation when the force account system is used for school construction to expand educational access for our children.

“But at the same time, it is also you who prevent young girls from being educated.

This is unacceptable,” the RC stated.

The Musoma District Acting Executive Director, Kaugendo Majidu, admitted to receiving complaints about early pregnancies, but said there has been no cooperation from parents.

He emphasised the need for collaboration among members of the public, local government leaders and the Police Force to address the problem, thereby promoting gender equality in the education sector.

“The government is improving school infrastructure to enhance learning and teaching, acknowledging that every child has the right to education,” he said.

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Villagers, including Mr Nyamjungu Shija, expressed appreciation for the government’s actions against early pregnancy perpetrators, noting that the issue has become a threat in Kigeraetuma.

The same applies to early marriages, which are also fuelled by the parents of schoolgirls, despite some victims’ strong academic performance and their unwillingness to marry.

He called for continuous public awareness on the importance of education for female children and further suggested that not only perpetrators but also the parents involved in negotiations should face legal consequences, as gender-based violence continues to rise in the village.