Source: Daily News Tanzania
Riziki Peter, a resident of Mikocheni B in Dar es Salaam was shocked when she opened the door of her house in the middle of the night and saw a half-naked woman, talking to the watchman.

 

The night guest was Maua Mbwana, a colleague and long time friend of hers, from the good old days when both were in primary school. Maua had bruises all over the face and her night dress was in tatters. Her situation gave the impression that there had been a bitter and ugly struggle with an enemy.

Later on, Riziki learnt that Maua had been fighting with her husband over whether it was right for him to come home after midnight while he was totally drunk. She was also insisting that they should use a condom and go for HIV testing. They had fought because the husband was against the idea of testing for HIV and questioned his wife's guts to tell him what to do.

 

"He hit me with a bottle of beer on the face and tore off my night dress. The children were crying like never before. I only managed to escape after he went into the kitchen, probably to pick a crude weapon to harm me," Maua who has two children, told her neighbour.

She was contemplating leaving her husband as she was not quite sure he was not cheating on. However, like any mother who is enduring torture from a husband, she is worried about her children who are less than ten years old. If she left, they would definitely suffer. But if she stays, harassment would continue.

In a case of similar nature, Mariam Selemani of Makongo area in Dar es Salaam was thrown out of the house in the night by her husband after insisting that they should use a condom. The husband was not drunk but would not agree to the choice of his wife. In a traditional African setting, men believe that women are their property.

That being the case, the woman has no say over her body and the reproductive health. "The man dictates terms in the family and his wife must obey all orders, even those that have to do with her body.

Many conflicts arise from such misconception, says a social worker, who preferred anonymity. Generally, there are different types of domestic violence perpetrated by men, including rape, emotional harassment, physical assault and sexual abuse. Physical assault is among the most common whereby men beat their wives, due to a belief that once a man gets married to a wife and he has paid the dowry, the woman becomes his property which he is free to do anything he wishes.

A United Nations policy-making body agrees upon a declaration urging an end to violence against women in references to women's sexual and reproductive rights.

In one of her contributions seeking to restore women's dignity, the Executive Director of the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) Ms Valerie Msoka says gender-based violence is being fuelled by cultural factors rooted in the male dominated system which give men an upper hand to violate the rights of others with impunity.

"We need to promote positive behaviours at individual, family and community levels if we are to stop violence against women and children," Ms Msoka had said.

In their effort to spread the rights of women and children's gospel, TAMWA has joined forces with TAWLA, TGNP, CRC and ZAFELA to forge an initiative named Gender Equality & Women Empowerment Programme (GEWE) aiming at ending the suffering of women and children.

Through documentaries and features, the aim is to push more action against domestic violence. While the police have shown willingness to act, by even setting up a gender desk where such criminal offences can be reported, the pace is still not encouraging and many cases go unreported.

The reason according to a social worker is the fear for reprisals at home. Women, especially those who depend on their husbands for survival are worried that reporting a case where her husband has beaten her is a free ticket to divorce. "We are in a dilemma.

It is not as simple as it sounds. You cannot report to the authorities someone who is the bread winner of the family. Where does that put you in the end?" Asks Maua who has been married for eight years. There is a general consensus among women that a better approach other than running to the police, should be forged in order not to split the family.

"A husband who is sentenced for beating his wife will not be willing to live with her in future. But this does not mean we should not take action against wife battery," says Maua.

While people ponder on more options to punish the wrong-doers, men should also ask themselves whether it is right to hit someone who only expresses an opinion on good practices in marriage. In this case, is it okay to beat up a woman who just proposes safe sex as a protection against STDs and HIV/AIDS?

• Tanzania