Tanzania Network Against Alcohol Abuse

DRINKING ALCOHOL IN RELATION TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

CASE STUDY OF TANZANIA SOCIETY

PRESENTED BY GLADNESS HEMEDI MUNUO

MPHL-STM, B.A (Gen), Dipl-Journ.

(Coordinator Crisis Resolving Centre/TAAnet Secretary General)

PAPER PRESENTED AT TPHA SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

VENUE: KBH HOTEL- SINGIDA

DATE: 30 NOVEMBER, 2017

1.0 Introduction:

In the past, traditional alcohol use followed strict cultural norms where both occasions and frequency of use as well as who is allowed to use it was a disciplined social practice, and both volumes of intake, the age groups and also the frequency and occasion were more tied to tradition customs of the community. However, in recent years, with the breakdown of traditional customs and urbanization, alcohol consumption has become more commercial oriented, with many social occasions graced by substantial amounts of alcohol to entertain the patrons and participants, often regardless of the age factor. There is general ignorance on the magnitude of problems alcohol causes to the consumers and the surrounding community.

It is still perceived that of the majority who drink alcohol in Tanzania Mainland, over 80% use homemade informal alcohol. This is not surprising because about 75% of Tanzanian population reside in rural areas, with subsistence life style and low income, while about 25% is urban with relatively affluent lifestyles. On the other hand, the proportion of industrial alcohol drinkers is most likely increasing in both urban and rural settings, especially due to more affluent young age groups, more aggressive alcohol business and available and access of alcohol packaging manner, producing cheap plastic sachets that are not only affordable to all, but also easily portable, concealable and user friendly.

2.0 Tanzania Status:

The 2014 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health by World Health Organisation (WHO)[1] indicates that about 34% of Tanzanians who drink indulge in binge drinking.

The WHO report says 40.6 per cent of Tanzanian men aged 15 above engage in heavy episodic drinking, which is among those who consumed at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least on one occasion in 30 days.

The prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among women aged 15 years plus is also at staggering 23.3 %, while the younger generation is also influenced into harmful use of alcohol.

More worrying, many Tanzanians consume the unregulated type of alcohol classified as others as per the WHO report on Health and Alcohol. A whooping 87% of the alcohol consumed in Tanzania in unregulated, home brewed and illegally sold outside normal government control, reveals the report.

The WHO further indicates in the report that 18.4 litres of pure alcohol are consumed per capital by drinkers annually in Tanzania.

The Head of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in the Ministry for Health, Community Development, Elderly, Gender and Children (MoHCDEGC) Dr. Norman Sabuni, quoting WHO report, says 7.4 per cent pf women are drinkers while 23.3 per cent of them are men.

3.0 Research Conducted in Tanzania:

In 2013, survey conducted by the then Ministry of Health and Social Welfare clarifies the percentages by estimating that 3.6 million Tanzanian men and 1.7 million women drink excessively.

The survey shows that at least 30% of young Tanzanians under the age of 15 drink alcohol and /or use narcotics. The survey also shows high consumption among educated Tanzanians, with 80 per cent drinking alcohol while 63 per cent of people who live near bars, pubs and other alcohol outlets also end up drinking alcohol.

The same data collected in May, 2014 from the three wards of Makumbusho, Saranga and Wazo in Kinondoni district (by then), Dar es Salaam region shows a trend of alcohol use and its effect among the people living in that area.

The general observations indicated high rate of alcohol use to males as compared to females. The findings of the age of the first time to use alcohol revealed that some of the respondents started when they were very young, whereby of all alcohol users more than 38% started when they where children (i.e below 18 years).

Although this was less than half, but the use of alcohol before 18 years is officially restricted by law. The results further indicated that some of the respondents do drink 5 or more drinks in a single visit.

The same ASA[2] surveys of late 2014 conducted in five sites covering four regions of Mainland Tanzania have revealed high prevalence of alcohol consumption for both sexes, ranging from 42.8% in Manyara region, to 50.4% in Arusha, with Iringa and Dar-es-Salaam regions showing a prevalence of 43.6%. both rural and urban settings. The consumption prevalence ranged from 42.8% in Mbulu District, Manyara Region, while it was highest at 50.9% in Arusha Region, other sites covered were Iringa, which had 43.6% and two different set sites, at 43.6%. Overall, the males showed higher consumption prevalence than females, at 48.7% consumers as opposed to 51.3% non- consumers of alcohol, and females were 37/.5% consumers against 62.5% abstainers. For the high risk of various NCD conditions women are more vulnerable even more than men when they consume alcohol, this prevalence is quite high and cause for concern. Furthermore, considering that the harmful effects of alcohol depend on the volume of alcohol taken and the pattern of drinking, the study revealed that about 26.5 % of alcohol users took 5 or more drinks at a drinking session, whereas 21.6% took alcohol five or more times in a week. About 3.9% took alcohol on a daily basis, thus considering the definition of harmful drinking pattern, all the three categories can be categorized as showing harmful use of alcohol” in their regular life styles.

Figures should be regarded with utmost caution, as they indicate extremely serious repercussions. Although in alcohol advertisements they state that alcohol is not to be taken by those below 18 years, in the Tanzania alcohol legislation, the age specified is below legal age 16 years. This legislation is especially outdated, because the age of majority is now fixed at 18 years, since the Law of Child Protection Act was passed in 2009. This means that other relevant laws should be reviewed and amended accordingly, otherwise one legal document contravenes the statement of another document of the same government.

4.0 Rationale for Alcohol Control in Tanzania: A need for National Policy Advocacy and Lobbying:

Although tobacco is easily shunned by many, alcohol is generally more accepted and taken as a relaxing drink, that refreshes one’s body and mind. The fact it is both legal and culturally acceptable in most communities, makes the notion of its harmful effects like a distance incrimination by those against it. After all the commodity , both industrial and homemade brews and spirits are available almost everywhere in the country. In the past, traditional alcohol use followed strict cultural norms where both occasions and frequency of use as well as who is allowed to use it was a disciplined social practice, and both volumes of intake, the age groups and also the frequency and occasion were more tied to tradition customs of the community. However, in recent years, with the breakdown of traditional customs and urbanization, alcohol consumption has become more commercial oriented, with many social occasions graced by substantial amounts of alcohol to entertain the patrons and participants, often regardless of the age factor. There is general ignorance on the magnitude of problems alcohol causes to the consumers and the surrounding community.

It is still perceived that of the majority who drink alcohol in Tanzania Mainland, over 80%[3] use homemade informal alcohol. This is not surprising because about 75% of Tanzanian population reside in rural areas, with subsistence life style and low income, while about 25% is urban with relatively affluent lifestyles. On the other hand, the proportion of industrial alcohol drinkers is most likely increasing in both urban and rural settings, especially due to more affluent young age groups, more aggressive alcohol business and available and access of alcohol packaging manner, producing cheap plastic sachets that are not only affordable to all, but also easily portable, concealable and user friendly.

ASA findings also exposed the role played by multimedia advertisements by the alcohol industry manufactured products, many of who organize brand promotions, and in the case of spirits packed in sachets, survey participants reported that they are often given for free during promotional events and fiestas.

5.0 GBV Status in Tanzania:

GBV is any act perpetrated against somebody’s will and resulting from the biological characteristics of her/his specific role as a sexual human being. It happens due to beliefs, traditions, behavior or attitudes that are harmful towards the individuals according to their sex.

According to CEDAW GBV[4] refers to incidents, gestures, situations or words likely to compromise the physical and moral integrity of another human being constitute acts of violence.

TAAnet define GBV as an umbrella term for any act, omission, or conduct that is perpetuated against a person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed differences (gender) between males and females. In Tanzania, culturally and socially a man is the head of the family as men generally occupy almost all decision making positions. Social ills like gender based violence, sexual harassment and many more social injustices continue to haunt women in the country and prevent women failed to perform well in most of the areas including economically and socially, let alone politically.

The rights of Tanzanian women within the family are poorly protected. The minimum legal age for marriage is 15 years for women and 18 years for men, but the law allows exceptions for girls aged 14 years under “justifiable” circumstances. There is a high incidence of early marriage in Tanzania: a 2004 United Nations report estimated that 25 per cent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age were married, divorced or widowed. In Tanzania about 60 percent of women in Tanzania live in absolute poverty. This is a result of the increasing poverty that also formulate or created by the trend of alcohol consumption of local brew and the authorized ones among the rural and urban population generally, the growing gap between the rich and poor; women and men; and among women themselves.

In 1998, the government passed a law on sexual assault, which addresses both rape and incest. The law also criminalizes spousal rape, but only if the couple is legally separated. Rape is now punishable by life imprisonment or by 30 days in prison with corporal punishment; offenders must also pay financial compensation to their GBV survivors. Despite these measures, rape remains a serious problem. More than 10 per cent of Tanzanian women are thought to have suffered a sexual assault, but this figure may be low because very few women register complaints.

All in all, alcohol has been recognized as a source of Gender Based Violence among the community. This has been recognized during Alcohol Survey (ASA) that 50% of GBV have been caused by the uses of different types of Alcohol. Cases of such problems have been received and attended at different legal aid centers in Dar es Salaam such as Tanzania Women Layers Association (TAWLA), Crisis Resolving Centre (CRC),Women in Legal Aid Center (WLAC) etc.

6.0 The Way Forward:

Strengthening of collaboration and partnerships of alcohol related harm prevention network(s) with key governmental & non-governmental stakeholders including coordination and facilitation of alcohol related harm prevention network(s) for policy analysis, IEC and advocacy and lobbying work for evidence based alcohol policy formulation.

TAAnet and other partners become active member of relevant committees or consultation groups at LGA and national level – NCD Control and prevention as alcohol is one of major risk factors; HIV/AIDS control, Social welfare issues; Community development issues.

Recommendations on prevention / control of harmful use of alcohol Policy and programming developed. TAAnet in collaboration with other stakeholders’ capacity to formulate policy recommendations on alcohol harm prevention enhanced and contributions of TAAnet to alcohol situation in Tanzania.

7.0 Conclusion:

The call for a national alcohol policy is ecjoed by members of parliament too. Legislators, who participated in the capacity-building seminar on the harm of Alcohol Socially, Economically and in Health organized by the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) by June 24, 2016 who agreed that the country needs an alcohol policy to curb rising health and social related problems caused by the excessive consumption of alcohol.

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