Gender Based Violence in relation to Reproductive Justice


Leila Sheikh


Gender-based
violence (GBV) is a grave reality in the lives of many women in Tanzania. It
results from gender norms and social and economic inequities that give
privilege to men over women. There is a mounting recognition in Tanzania of
gender discrimination and gender inequity in different facets of life.


This
awakening includes a growing acknowledgement of how prevalent gender-based
violence is and the ways and extent to which it harms not only women and girls
but also men and boys and, furthermore, the country’s developing economy and
health and social welfare systems.

.

Reports
from Legal Aid CSOs indicate that many forms of gender-based violence,
including intimate partner violence and rape, are seen as normal and are met
with acceptance by both men and women— although the justifications for
acceptance differs between women and men.


Women
and girls are also frequently blamed for causing or provoking gender-based
violence. In part due to blame and shame, women and girls rarely report
gender-based violence to authorities or seek other kinds of treatment or
support.

.

Tanzanian
law has shown some progress in preventing and punishing GBV crimes. For
example, the Sexual Offence Special Provisions Act of 1998 poses harsh
penalties for perpetrators of sexual violence. However, gaps remain in the
legal system.


In
particular, domestic violence is only minimally and vaguely addressed in The
Law of Marriage Act—although without specified penalties—and through the penal
codes on general violence and assault. There is no law against domestic
violence, specifically.

.

Central to the need for the Stronger Voices initiative is women’s
empowerment, as the crux to strengthen women’s voices for quality reproductive
health care. Knowledge in Reproductive Health and Rights empowers women to make
informed decisions regarding their Sexual and Reproductive health.

Despite these incipient
reforms, the key informant interviews revealed that the number and quality of
services and resources available to survivors of gender-based violence is
minimal.


While service providers
interviewed, including doctors and police, said that they respond to GBV when
presented with a case, there are no protocols for working with survivors.
Likewise, little training on proper protocols is available to service
providers.


 Legal aid services run by small
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with limited budgets are available in
cities throughout the country, but there is a wide gap in health, counseling,
and social welfare services for GBV survivors. There are just two known
established shelters for GBV survivors—the Young Women Christian Association
and House of Peace—both located in Dar es Salaam. In Mbeya, there is the Tamar
Project which gives support to rape survivors. These support networks are not sufficient
and more Planning and Budget Allocation needs to be pursued in order to address
the vast need for Rape Survivor Centers.

Interventions Required

1.    
Legal and Policy environment

2.    
Advocate for a specific law on Domestic
Violence

3.    
Incorporate GBV into HIV policies and plans

4. Facilitate dialogue among parliamentarians
about the health, development, and social impacts of GBV

5.  Assist gender focal points in ministries with
addressing GBV issues and developing sector-specific action plans on GBV

6. Work with local government leaders to translate
the GBV plans of action into concrete components of community by-laws.

7. Reform health centers systematically to address
GBV, starting with how-to policies, protocols, and guidelines

8. Incorporate GBV screening and referrals into
HIV counseling and testing program

9.    
Incorporate a GBV response into HIV counseling
and testing programs that have adequate capacity and resources

10.  Incorporate
GBV curriculum into university health, justice, and legal programs and/or
continuing education programs for health professionals

11.   Form peer support and counseling groups by
training community members as facilitators

12.  Awareness-Raising
and Community Mobilization

1.ISSN
1753-6839 Pambazuka News English Edition http://www.pambazuka.org/en/

ISSN 1753-6847 Pambazuka News en Français
http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/

ISSN 1757-6504 Pambazuka News em
Português http://www.pambazuka.org/pt/

© 2009 Fahamu – http://www.fahamu.org/

Collective Community Action
needs public education to raise awareness on the challenges faced by rape and
domestic violence survivors which can only be initiated by government with
Civil Society Organizations and Faith Based Organizations providing the back up
to the initiative.


We cannot close our eyes and
pretend the problem would go away. Ignoring GBV makes us all party to the
crime!

—


Leila Sheikh is a Senior Journalist; Producer of documentaries and Social Justice Defender