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Advocating Against Ageist Abuse
Violence, Abuse and Neglect (VAN) and advocacy is a key thematic area that HelpAge Tanzania has and wishes to continue pushing. VAN and Advocacy gains mandates from the violation of human rights that includes physical, sexual, psychological, emotional abuse and killings due to ageism and beliefs in witchcraft targeting older persons in most parts of the country.
Financial and Material abuse, abandonment, neglect, and serious loss of dignity and respect is among the key violations to older persons. The VAN does impact the well-being of older persons, decreasing their quality of life, leading to mental health challenges, and increasing morbidity and mortality rates. As thus it requires joint advocacy for in our programming and articulation.
Our Acheivements
HelpAge Tanzania has contributed immensely to pushing ageing agenda and ensuring realization of human rights, dignity and respect among older men and women in Tanzania. HelpAge has supported and reinforced the formulation of older people’s structures across the country that has created a platform where older people can discuss and deliberate on their issues.
HelpAge in collaboration with the government contributed to the reduction of killings of older people due to witchcraft accusations that were rampant in early 2000’s that was accounting to almost 750 killings a year to around 10 killings today.
HelpAge Tanzania has also supported the developed of the National Strategy to Eradicate Violence and Killings among older people (NSEKEP, 2018/2019 – 2022/2023) to reinforce its commitment to eliminating violence against women and older people respectively.
