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News release

Tanzanians oppose the use of physical force against women, see gender-based violence as a criminal matter

5 May 2023 Tanzania
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News release
Key findings
  • Tanzanians see gender-based violence (GBV) as the most important women’s-rights issue that the government and society must address (Figure 1).
  • Eight out of 10 citizens (80%) say violence against women and girls is “not very common” or “not at all common” in their community (Figure 2).
  • Most Tanzanians (83%) say it is “never” justified for a man to use physical force to discipline his wife (Figure 3).
  • Four in 10 respondents consider it “somewhat likely” (23%) or “very likely” (17%) that a woman will be criticised or harassed if she reports gender-based violence to the authorities. Nearly half of citizens (48%) say this is “very unlikely” (Figure 4).
  • More than nine in 10 Tanzanians (92%) believe that the police are likely to take cases of GBV seriously (Figure 5).
  • About two-thirds (64%) of Tanzanians say domestic violence should be treated as a criminal matter rather than as a private matter to be resolved within the family (Figure 6).

An overwhelming majority of Tanzanians say it is never justified for a man to use physical force to discipline his wife, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows.

While most Tanzanians say violence against women and girls is not a common occurrence in their community, they see gender-based violence (GBV) as the most important women’s- rights issue that the government and society must address. A majority consider GBV a criminal matter requiring the involvement of law enforcement rather than a private matter to be handled within the family.

While a large majority of citizens say the police are likely to take GBV cases seriously, many also consider it likely that a woman who reports such violence to the police will be criticised, harassed, or shamed by others in the community.