Community Awareness of NPA-VAWC in Ending Violence Against Children

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56741/IISTR.jscd.001371


Keywords:

Child Protection, Community Awareness, NPA-VAWC, Tanzania, Violence Against Children

Abstract

Violence against children remains a major global and national concern, undermining children’s safety, development, and well-being. In response, the Government of Tanzania implemented the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC) to strengthen prevention and response strategies. This study examined community awareness of violence against children and the level of awareness and participation in the implementation of the NPA-VAWC in Mbeya City Council. A mixed-method approach with a cross-sectional design was employed, involving 100 randomly selected community members and four key informants. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document review, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings revealed that while 96% of respondents were aware of violence against children, only 35% were aware of the NPA-VAWC. The overall awareness level was moderate, with 67% of respondents demonstrating medium awareness. The study concludes that limited awareness of national strategies constrains community participation and highlights the need for strengthened awareness campaigns and community-based education.

Author Biography

Rehema Magesa, Tengeru Institute of Community Development-Arusha

is a Professor of Gender Studies and Senior Lecturer at the Tengeru Institute of Community Development in Arusha, Tanzania, with over two decades of academic, research, and professional experience. She holds a PhD in Gender Studies from the Open University of Tanzania, an Advanced Master’s in Development Evaluation and Management from Antwerp University in Belgium, an MSc in Agriculture (Animal Science Production), and a BSc in Agriculture from Sokoine University of Agriculture. Prof. Magesa has an extensive research and consultancy portfolio covering gender, women’s empowerment, human rights, rural livelihoods, and development, with numerous peer-reviewed publications on issues such as human trafficking, intimate partner violence, child marriage, and financial inclusion. She has provided consultancy and training for diverse organizations, including policy development, gender-responsive budgeting, and mainstreaming gender in public institutions. (email: likainda@yahoo.com).

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Published

2026-02-28

How to Cite

Magesa, R. (2026). Community Awareness of NPA-VAWC in Ending Violence Against Children. Journal of Social and Community Development, 3(01), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.56741/IISTR.jscd.001371

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 01 (2026): Journal of Social and Community Development

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Rehema Magesa

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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