16 Days of Activism in Tanzania: Built-in violence against women

By Esuvath Daniel

Violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally and Tanzania is no exception. In eradicating the violence against women from the year 2000, Tanzania made eight programs that addressed the social structure that created a ground for violence against women. These programs faced the challenge of getting information about women and children who are experiencing violence another challenge was the conflicting activities among the stakeholders of the strategies.

In 2016 the government of Tanzania amalgamated the programs into one and call it the National Plan of Action to end Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC) 2017/18 – 2021/22. NPA-VAWC has estimated that the violence costs Tanzania about USD 6.5 Billion which is 7% of the Tanzanian’s GDP.

In these 16 Days of Activism, for 2024 I choose to discuss thing about built-in injustices which makes the problem of violence against women persists regardless of the global efforts. This is not just a moment to amplify voices it’s a call for action to address overlooked challenges that perpetuate cycles of violence and oppression.

Builtin injustices against women

Society and the government more often justify the violence against women. Society sometimes belittles women when they are using words that either comments on age, marital status or body shape.  For example, Women over 30 years of age face ridicule and are labeled as “wasimbe” an offensive and disrespectful term for unmarried women. This term judges against unmarried women on their personal choices and circumstances reduced to fodder for public shame. Recently there is another word “Mashangazi” which gets popular to mean women who are overweight.

Another built-in damaging societal mindset is the justification of violence based on a woman’s clothing. Women are always harassed when wearing the cloth of their choice, some of us(women) do not even want to shop at Kariakoo because we know the harassments that can happen. This issue of cloth is just a façade, women face violence even when fully covered. This tells that, harassing a woman in Tanzania is more of a built-in thing that people feel entitled to. Women across all walks of life regardless of their attire are targeted, proving that the problem lies not with them but with the offenders.

In economic arena, women who are self employed often face harassment in the name of “the customer is the king”. Men bully and harass women who are engaging in small and medium businesses. In Tanzania, informal economy prevails formal sector. The informal sector survey has shown that in Dar es Salaam there are more women in informal sector than men. 51.8% of women are in retail trade. Accommodation and food services is another business that women engage the most according to the survey. Unwanted touches and unwanted sexual advances are normal in this business. The story gets bad for women who are working as barmaids or waitress. In bars and night clubs it is like a girl has no right over her body. It is like slavery to work in bars.

It is for this reason that some women fear to do some of the jobs for the fear of being harassed. This increases the problem of unemployment, but it is sexual unemployment.

While every human has the right to express his/her opinions women are culturally segregated in exercising this basic right. Women who speak her mind will be branded as not a wife material. This is like being wife material a girl must forgo her right to speak. A woman expressing her opinions freely and confidently should never be a reason for her to face attacks or criticism. She has a fundamental right to voice her thoughts, as guaranteed by Article 18 of the Constitution of united republic of Tanzania. The issue goes even to women who have been divorced or left by the men who impregnated them. No man is blamed for the broken family, women are blamed for this. Thus, single mothers are being attacked and judged as not women to be married and sometimes ridiculed that they could not keep the family.

Shifting the Lens; Women “Repowerment”

It’s time to shift our perspective. The advocacy has centered on empowering women, the term which is recently discouraged as it assumes that women are weak. Women have always possessed strength, resilience and capabilities. As for this reason I will use Repowerment instead of that term which assumes women are weak. The repowerment is more on economic and social dimensions. The rempowerment is more like an empty can because the harassment and abuses are left to attack women.

What women lack are opportunities denied by systemic oppression and cultural norms. We should now talk about restoring the power women inherently hold and addressing the barriers that have stripped it away. In reclaiming the power activists are to start with domestic violence and harassment that are ubiquitous in Tanzania.

Rethinking Approaches

So, how can Tanzania become a safe space for women and girls? The answer lies in inclusivity and accountability. Men must be active participants in these conversations. Recently, if a woman speaks against Gender based violence seems to be a threat to a man. A woman is somebody’s daughter, partner, aunt, sister, mother etc. As men are the primary people on this, they should be aware that any harr is not a “women’s issue” it’s a societal crisis. From homes to workplaces, men need to be educated and held accountable for their actions.

Let’s challenge the societal silence that allows violence to persist. This should start from the inbuilt customs that promotes harassments and violence against women. Let’s address the nuances of oppression that remain overlooked. Let’s create a world where women are not merely fighting for empowerment but reclaiming the spaces and respect they have always deserved.

It starts with a single question, are we listening?