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C. Pathways of Help-Seeking
Given the context of limited services and a normative environment that is largely accepting
of GBV, it is not surprising that violence is infrequently reported to medical personnel or the
police. According to the 2010 TDHS, while nearly half of survivors of physical or sexual
violence sought help to stop the violence, the majority sought this help from their own
family (47%) or religious leaders (33%). Tanzanian women reported that they seldom seek
help from the police, lawyers, or medical personnel (6%, 1%, and 1% respectively).
The present study further explores the complex decision-making process that survivors of
GBV face when seeking help. Specifically, the analysis sets out to answer the following
research questions:
What are typical help-seeking behaviors in the study sites, and are there any
discernible pathways?
To what extent does help-seeking differ based on the type of violence experienced?
To what extent does help-seeking differ in urban as compared to rural areas?
How do communities perceive existing GBV services and what needs do they
express?
The findings draw largely on the “Pathways of Help-Seeking” maps created by PFG
participants (a selection of these drawings is presented in Annex 5). In each PFG,
participants were separated into two groups and given an open-ended story about a fictional
GBV survivor. One group received a scenario based on repeated physical violence by a
husband, and the second group was given a story about a survivor of rape by a nonintimate
male acquaintance. Subsequently the facilitator prompted each group to draw a
map of available services and the survivor’s most likely path through these options.
Respondents were initially asked to create a map for a “thirty-something” woman. Once the
illustration was complete, the facilitator probed to ask how the map would change if the
survivor was age 17 or age 60 (see Annex 4 for the full PFG guide). It is important to
emphasize that the vast majority of GBV survivors do not enter formal channels of helpseeking;
the discussion below should be interpreted as indicative of the pathways taken by
the small sub-set of survivors who choose to pursue GBV-related services in spite of
multiple barriers.
Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for Survivors of GBV in Tanzania March 2013
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