Abstract:
This study explored the effectiveness of the Police Gender and Children’s Desk
(PGCD) in creating awareness of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) among primary
school pupils in Chamwino District Council, Tanzania. The study was guided by three
research objectives namely: to explore the strategies the PGCD employed in creating
awareness of GBV among public primary school pupils; enquire about the experiences
of public primary school pupils in Chamwino District regarding the effectiveness of
the PGCD in addressing GBV; and describe challenges the PGCD face in creating
awareness among public primary school pupils to combat GBV in Chamwino district,
Dodoma, Tanzania. The system model and the empowerment theory guided the study.
Purposive sampling and convenience sampling techniques were employed to collect
data. Data were collected from 38 pupils, one Acting District Education Officer, one
Officer Commanding Station, one In-charge of PGCD, three police officers from
PGCD, the Acting District Education Officer, three Head teachers and three Mentor-
teachers. The study used interviews, focus group discussions, observations and
document reviews to collect primary and secondary data that was subsequently
subjected to thematic analysis. The study found that, the PGCD employed strategies
such as songs and demonstrations, slogans, questions-and-answers sessions and
lecture-citation methods to pass on the desired messages. The study found that the
PGCD faces challenges such as lack of office, transport, inadequate training on matters
related to GBV and lack of budget allocation specifically for the unit. The study
concluded that PGCD were effective in creating awareness among pupils in the school
involved in the study. The study recommended that, the Ministry of Home Affairs
should allocate specific budget for PGCD to enable the desk to discharge their roles
and responsibilities smoothly and amicably.
