Lulu: Let justice prevail in ‘that’ girl's case

Dear Tanzania Gender Networking Propgramme (TGNP) members, young feminists and those in support of our sisters,

I think we have a role to play in understanding Lulu's case, its context and her future charges in relation to Kanumba’s death. This portrays a classic relationship between private and public life.

I think it is a platform for expanding and demanding for women’s rights in our current context - the media space. We should follow up the tragedy to understand what is at stake in relation to women’s rights, images and representations in the media and legal spaces, specifically how domestic spaces make life so vulnerable.

Thus far, Lulu is in remand, accused, suspected, or associated with Kanumba's death. Unfortunately, public opinion is against Lulu as she is condemned and demonized for her alleged loose sexual conduct, accusations which could easily violate her rights in regard to the charges or, if found innocent, her security in the public domain will be threatened.

I am not saying she is innocent, but I always wonder why only young superstar women are labelled as loose! And, yes, if she has been loose or bad, so what? Is this only confined to a moral question? Is this about good girls and bad girls? Does this mean she deserves to be accused without being listened too? Does this justify one being declared guilty without a fair trial or being understood?

Some people say yes! ‘Let her suffer in remand and then proceed to prison!

I say no, everyone is entitled to justice!

This is not a claim that she is innocent; rather it is a call to allow police and medical procedures to rule the investigations, not the hyped media opinion of ‘that girl’.

Justice is for everyone, those good and bad, those present and absent. If the investigation finds any association or relation of her conduct to be incriminating that will be a different question of the law.

Human right activists, feminists and the media, how do we associate ourselves with those labelled bad or indeed bad on culture lenses? Do we choose to remain silent?

I speak not because she is a woman and young, as that could be doing injustice to our late Kanumba and being biased on a purely gender stance; rather it is to engage with the notion of good and bad girls in the media and its implication on women representation in general, and especially in our digital generation.

Lulu is still in remand; maybe a quick and quiet visit will help us understand what is happening to her and perhaps make a decision if it is a case we might want to follow. We should start by getting facts right by acknowledging that Lulu is prejudged because of her character, and that can never be right or fair.

This is not about Lulu, it is about Wema, Ray C, Yasinta, and many young women like her in the movie and music industry; the platform is rough and tough, providing different experiences to female artists, of which we know very little about.

We need to start engaging with these spaces, as these young women define the good and bad girls in subtle but very important ways!

This is not about ‘that’ girl! It is about understanding what is happening in domestic spaces, where both men and women rights could easily be abused in silence. It is about engaging with misunderstood women using our lenses to make sense of their stories and realities so as to inform ourselves on diverse issues facing women. It is about understanding the perceptions and cultures that influence practices and outcomes of laws.

I pray for Kanumba “the Great” that he may rest in peace and, at this point, I should declare that he was one of the Tanzanian actors that I respected for his achievements; however, his latest movie MOSES, which is centered on hate on women, left me wishing to meet him and chat about impacts of such content on women. Indeed he has left us very young. He will be greatly missed.

As he rests in peace and justice is found for his sudden death, let Lulu - before the law and public - be judged and treated with fairness regardless of being ‘that’ girl!

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