‘Classroom lessons on rituals could end GBV’

By Henry Mwangonde , The Guardian
Published at 08:37 AM Jul 19 2024
An  illustration of Gender Based Violence
Photo: Agencies
An illustration of Gender Based Violence

A GENDER researcher yesterday espoused the need to integrate traditional rituals into the education system to empower girls and boys, thereby changing perceptions and addressing harmful practices that violate human rights.

Dr Regina Opoku, a visiting senior research fellow with the city economic research outfit, REPOA, made the suggestion in Dar es Salaam at the launch of her research-based book titled ‘Women on Women Violence in Tanzania: Current realities and future directions.’

Arming girls and boys with such knowledge will help them recognise their roles in refusing to perpetuate gender stereotypes by enabling them to choose to be part of the solution, she stated.

Despite women mostly being the victims, they are undoubtedly perpetrators of harmful practices tied to patriarchal clan set ups and associated beliefs, she stated, pointing at the need to effectively combat female genital mutilation (FGM), mute house (Nyumba ntobhu), and widow cleansing.

That is tied up with the need to challenge patriarchal power, gender stereotypes and the dominant idea based on the construction of femininity as a mode of living and observations, she said.

“There is a need to incorporate lessons on gender and harmful traditional practices as topics in schools," she says in key findings of the study, highlighting findings from narratives of widows in particular.

The lessons will help illustrate how sexual cleansing perpetuates the patriarchal control framework, subjugating women and impacting the health and wellbeing of widows in the Ukerewe community which was studied. The situation is generally replicated in most of Africa, the researcher noted.

"In their narratives, the widows shared that it is fellow women, not men, who subject them to appalling conditions during the mourning period," she said, recommending that religious institutions play a role in their places of worship, raising awareness on harmful aspects of traditional practices.

Dr Opoku also recommended implementing intervention programmes that are informed by a deep understanding of social cultural values, norms and beliefs underlying these practices within local contexts.

She proposed that at the district level, local governments collaborate with elders and grassroots organizations to pass bylaws correcting social norms and behaviours that perpetuate harmful rituals.

"While a male cleanser performs the ritual to purify the widow on Ukerewe Island, it is fellow women considered experts who dress the widow, accompany her and ensure she undergoes the cleansing ritual in the required and appropriate traditional way," the researcher explained.

Dr Dorothy Gwajima, the Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups minister, said in discussion that increasing attention given to gender-based violence (GBV) is exemplified by adopting the National Plans of Action to end violence against women and children.

The high rate of gender-based violence stems from social norms, exacerbated by early marriage, early childbirth and low levels of women’s economic independence and education, the minister noted.

Dr Donald Mmari, the REPOA executive director, pointed out that despite various alleviating strategies, the core negative traditional practices persist due to societal norms.