Gender Issues Facing Women in Tanzania
Tanzania's gender gap is huge. In the village, woman are the ones doing most, if not close to all of the cooking, cleaning, and carrying water. Little girls can often be found doing house chores while their brothers play outside, free of any responsibilities. Many men view their jobs as exclusively on the farm, work which accounts for only about half of the year. When men aren't in the fields, you can find them in bombas (village bar), playing bao (Tanzania mancala), or just chillin. Domestic violence is everywhere, it happens regularly in Tanzanian movies which are shown to the public on busses. Scenes where men are knocking their ill-talking wife or girlfriend are viewed as comedic, people just laugh at it while children watch.
It would be hard to find a female volunteer here who hasn't been touched inappropriately (hata mimi). You cant really let that get to you though because it’s not worth the time or energy. It took me a day to admit to myself that I was groped by a vijana (youth) at my junction. I initially assumed it to be a “slip of the hands” and when it finally hit me the next morning that he had done it on purpose, I wasn't even mad at him. I was pissed off at the group of men who stood there watching and didn't say anything. Didn't stop it, just watched it happen and probably congratulated him afterwards.
Looking back though, I'm not sure what else I could have done differently. I just went with the flow, feeling like it was all a big misunderstanding, and got in my vill Van. If instead I had made a scene and yelled at him, what really would that have accomplished? I'd get some boobs reparation in some sense but even now I look back on it and I don’t let myself feel violated or angry, just extremely annoyed. It happened, and it happens to just about every female volunteer in Tanzania. It happens in crowded markets, crammed transportation services, or usually when you least expect it.
Men here think they are better than woman. Most of them will have no problem telling you this and listing their “facts” and “proofs” on why it’s the ultimate true. This severe gender imbalance is such a toxic environment for women. Men are constantly proposing to me, making suggestive conversation, and asking for my number. They expect women to treat them like gods, because they've been raised to view themselves to be as great as “God”, when in reality most of them are garbage.
There are some gems out there. I am always taken aback when I meet men who can not only do housework here, but actually help with it. So many woman here carry the weight of the household on their shoulders without much help from their male counterparts. Women run around everywhere doing everything while their husbands are either sitting on the couch staring at their phone or “hanging out” in town with their friends. This place reminds me a lot of the show Mad Men; portraying the America when it was perfectly acceptable behavior to spank the secretary. When woman were told to be seen but not heard.
That is why I have hope. I know, I know, America is not perfect but no one can say we haven't improved over time. Tanzania is still so young, almost 60 years old. The women here are so strong, they just need to know it and believe it. It is only inevitable that one day, some place, women will be treated equal to men. In order for this to happen though, we need men on our side. Women, stand up for yourself because we deserve better. There are parts of this struggle woman cannot accomplish on their own, we need men to be teaching/checking their peers. The only way for men to see how many woman these issues have affected is to hear it from the women they know. Most woman have stories, all men have to do is ask, care, and help.