Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for ... - EngenderHealth
Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for ... - EngenderHealth
Help-Seeking Pathways and Barriers for ... - EngenderHealth
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Part IV: Recommendations<br />
The study identified a number of critical gaps in service provision to women who have<br />
experienced gender-based violence. These gaps were found across geographic sites but<br />
barriers to help-seeking <strong>and</strong> access to care were especially prevalent in the rural sites <strong>and</strong><br />
locations outside of Dar es Salaam. The recommendations presented below are drawn from<br />
participants’ suggestions as well as the results of the data analysis. These recommendations<br />
reflect the highest priority gaps <strong>and</strong> proposed responses from study participants <strong>and</strong> the<br />
research team. While the present study did not focus explicitly on prevention, several of the<br />
recommendations <strong>for</strong> improving the response to gender-based violence—if implemented<br />
effectively—will strengthen Tanzania’s ef<strong>for</strong>ts to eliminate GBV.<br />
A. Address Socio-Cultural <strong>Barriers</strong> to <strong>Help</strong>-<strong>Seeking</strong> by Survivors of GBV<br />
Key findings from this study cast light on the many social <strong>and</strong> gender norms that influence<br />
<strong>and</strong> rein<strong>for</strong>ce the practice of multiple <strong>for</strong>ms of violence against women. There<strong>for</strong>e, as the<br />
Government of Tanzania <strong>and</strong> PEPFAR implementing partners move their GBV programming<br />
<strong>for</strong>ward, the strategic inclusion of targeted awareness raising <strong>and</strong> community mobilization<br />
initiatives is strongly recommended. These ef<strong>for</strong>ts would aim to overcome the most<br />
prominent socio-cultural barriers that constrain women from seeking help by addressing<br />
common attitudes <strong>and</strong> norms about GBV among community members. These socio-cultural<br />
influences are likely to differ across communities, so <strong>for</strong>mative research tailored to each<br />
target location is advised to in<strong>for</strong>m the design <strong>and</strong> roll-out of initiatives. However, based on<br />
the results of the present study, messaging <strong>for</strong> women, men, <strong>and</strong> the general community<br />
will need to emphasize that:<br />
1. Violence is a violation of rights <strong>and</strong> a misuse of power [Example of SASA<br />
approach 26 ];<br />
2. Neither physical nor sexual violence should be tolerated or accepted, even within<br />
relationships [Example of CHAMPION campaigns 27 ];<br />
3. Women who experience violence should not be blamed or stigmatized, but<br />
supported;<br />
4. Family members, community members, byst<strong>and</strong>ers, <strong>and</strong> other members of the social<br />
network should speak out against gender-based violence, encourage help-seeking by<br />
survivors, <strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong> that perpetrators of violence are held accountable <strong>for</strong> their<br />
actions; <strong>and</strong><br />
5. Services <strong>and</strong> support are available in many areas <strong>and</strong> from different types of<br />
providers.<br />
With respect to the final suggestion above, it would be critical <strong>for</strong> service providers (as<br />
individual institutions <strong>and</strong>/or as a group or coalition)—where they exist—to increase the<br />
awareness of the support that they offer by advertising more broadly <strong>and</strong> in more widely<br />
accessible media. This would raise awareness among potential help seekers, the community<br />
26 http://www.raisingvoices.org/sasa/index.php<br />
27 http://www.engenderhealth.org/our-work/major-projects/champion.php<br />
<strong>Help</strong>-<strong>Seeking</strong> <strong>Pathways</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Barriers</strong> <strong>for</strong> Survivors of GBV in Tanzania March 2013<br />
Page 54