Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for ... - EngenderHealth

B. Existing Services and Sources of Support
This section describes the profile of GBV services and types of support that emerged from
the key informant interviews in Dar es Salaam, Iringa, and Mbeya. As described in the
methodology, the research team interviewed service providers from civil society, health,
legal and justice, and government sectors, as well as “informal” resource persons such as
respected community elders and local leaders. 16 While there is considerable variation in the
services available across locations, the analysis below outlines the package of expected
support for each provider type. Subsequently, in Sections C and D, the paper will discuss
the socio-cultural and structural barriers to help-seeking as well as adequate service
provision.
1. Family and Social Networks
Key informants consistently described the family as the first source of help-seeking for
survivors of GBV. The family’s role is to offer advice, emotional support, and, in the case of
domestic violence, help mediate between the woman and her husband. In general, married
women are expected to first speak with their husband’s family members before reporting
violence to the police. A frequent pathway reported by both service providers and
community members begins with the marital family (often fathers, mothers, and brothersin-law).
If the issue remains unresolved, a survivor may then consult members of her natal
family, and, subsequently, a family meeting can be arranged between both families. Other
members of one’s social network—for example friends, neighbors, and respected elders—
can participate in these meetings, acting as mediators and providing advice. While the
structure and mechanisms of a family meeting differ by community, ultimately the goal is to
find a solution and reconcile the marriage. Only when a problem cannot be solved within the
family or immediate social network is it socially acceptable to approach external sources of
support. For example, the following quotation illustrates the centrality of the family in
addressing GBV.
She [a GBV survivor] was told to keep quiet because it will bring shame, and going to
the police will humiliate their son. I intervened as a social worker but they [her in-laws]
wanted to deal with it within the family, then I had to let go.
Duty Bearer, Mbeya
For unmarried women who experience intimate partner violence their source of help was not
so much the family but rather, friends since their relationship was considered “not formal.”
In cases of stranger violence the role of the family is primarily concerned with emotional
support (rather than reconciliation) and linking the survivor to formal help-seeking
channels.
16 While precise definitions of “formal” versus “informal” providers varied across informants, overall unpaid
individuals or volunteers who do not work out of an office were most often described as informal, for
example elderly members of the community considered to be “wise” and “respected.”
Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for Survivors of GBV in Tanzania March 2013
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