Tanzania is a multicultural and multireligious society, and although predominantly rural, having some modern sectors. Poverty is widespread and the bulk of society remains traditionalist when it comes to gender issues. However, a public debate is in its beginning. Women's protection by the law remains limited.
Violence against women remains widespread. The Marriage Act of 1971 makes a declaration against spousal battery, but does not prohibit it or provide for any punishment. Traditional customs that subordinate women remain strong in both urban and rural areas and local magistrates often upheld such practices. Women may be punished by their husbands for not bearing children. It is accepted for a husband to treat his wife as he wishes, and wife beating occurs at all levels of society. A large number of women are killed by their husbands or commit suicide as a result of domestic battery.
Women in refugee camps suffers a high level of rape and gender abuse perpetrated by other refugees.
Women face discriminatory restrictions on inheritance and ownership of property because of concessions by the Government and courts to customary and Islamic law. Under Zanzibari law, unmarried women under the age of 21 who become pregnant are subject to 2 years' imprisonment. Despite a 1996 law to permit pregnant girls to continue their education following maternity absences, the practice of forcing pregnant girls out of school remains in effect.
The rate of girls' enrollment in school is lower than that of boys. Strong traditional norms still divide labor along gender lines and place women in a subordinate position.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects 18 percent of the female population. In some ethnic groups, FGM is compulsory, and in others, a woman who has not undergone the ritual may not be able to marry.
Women in Tanzania on average give birth to 5,51 children (2000 est.)
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Social data
Life expectancy: total population: 52,26 years
male: 51,32 years
female: 53,23 years (2000 est.)
Infant mortality: 80,97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Alphabetization rate: Total population: 67,8%
male: 79,4%
female: 56,8% (1995 est.)
Medical services: 93% of the population have access to medical services. There are approximately 25.000 persons per doctor.
Sex ratio: at birth: 1,03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1,01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0,98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0,84 male(s)/female
total population: 0,99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Religious data: Traditional African religions 35,60%, Muslim 30,00%, Christians 34,40%.
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
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Family and tradition
Discrimination against women is most acute in rural areas, where women are relegated to farming and raising children, and have almost no opportunity for wage employment. Custom and tradition often hinder women from owning property such as land, and may override laws that provide for equal treatment. Male colleagues sometimes harass women seeking higher education, and authorities largely have ignored the practice.
The overall situation for women is less favorable in Zanzibar, which has a majority Muslim population. Women there, and on many parts of the mainland, face discriminatory restrictions on inheritance and ownership of property because of concessions by the Government and courts to customary and Islamic law. While provisions of the Marriage Act provide for certain inheritance and property rights for women, the application of customary, Islamic, or statutory law depends on the lifestyle and stated intentions of the male head of household. Thus far, the courts have upheld discriminatory inheritance claims, primarily in rural areas. Under Zanzibari law, unmarried women under the age of 21 who become pregnant are subject to 2 years' imprisonment.
Although the Government officially discourages the tradition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), it still is performed at an early age in approximately 20 of the country's 130 main ethnic groups. FGM affects 18 percent of the female population. In some ethnic groups, FGM is compulsory, and in others, a woman who has not undergone the ritual may not be able to marry.
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Gender sensitivity in society
The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on nationality, tribe, origin, political affiliation, color, or religion. Discrimination based on sex, age, or disability is not prohibited specifically by law but is discouraged publicly in official statements. Discrimination against women and religious and ethnic minorities persists.
Although the Government advocates equal rights for women in the workplace, it does not ensure these rights in practice. In the public sector, which employs 80 percent of the salaried labor force, certain statutes restrict women's access to some jobs or hours of employment. For example, in general, women may not be employed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. While progress on women's rights has been more noticeable in urban areas, strong traditional norms still divide labor along gender lines and place women in a subordinate position.
The law provides for 7 years of compulsory education through the age of 15; however, it is no longer free. Fees are charged for books, enrollment, and uniforms, with the result that some children have been denied an education. The primary school dropout rate is between 30 and 40 percent. The literacy rate is approximately 70 percent; however, for girls it is only 57 percent compared with 80 percent for boys. In the past, girls who became pregnant were expelled from school. Despite a 1996 law to permit pregnant girls to continue their education following maternity absences, the practice of forcing pregnant girls out of school remains in effect. The rate of girls' enrollment in school is lower than that of boys, and generally declines with each additional year of schooling. In some districts, there was a decline in attendance as the result of early marriage, often at the behest of parents. Nevertheless, there have been across the board increases in the rate of girls' participation since 1990.
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Health data
Access to potable water: 34% of the population have no access to potable water.
Medical services: 93% of the population have access to medical services. There are approximately 25.000 persons per doctor.
Maternal mortality rate: 770/100.000.
Infant mortality: 80,97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): About 18% of females undergo this practice.
Although the Government officially discourages female genital mutilation (FGM), which is widely condemned by international health experts as damaging to both physical and psychological health, it still is performed at an early age in approximately 20 of the country's 130 main ethnic groups. According to a 1996 health survey conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, FGM affects 18 percent of the female population. In some ethnic groups, FGM is compulsory, and in others, a woman who has not undergone the ritual may not be able to marry. Government data show this to be a problem that varies by region, with the most affected regions being Arusha (81 percent of women), Dodoma (68 percent), Mara (44 percent), Kilimanjaro (37 percent), Iringa (27 percent), Tanga/Singida (25 percent), and Morogoro (20 percent). FGM is almost nonexistent in the rest of the country. Government officials have called for changes in practices that adversely affect women, and in 1998 Parliament passed into law the Sexual Offenses Special Provisions Bill, under which several persons were prosecuted for FGM during the year. Some local government officials have begun to combat the practice and convicted and imprisoned some persons who performed FGM on young girls. Seminars sponsored by various governmental organizations and NGO's are held regularly in an attempt to educate the public on the dangers of FGM and other traditional practices. These practices include the tradition of inherited wives, which critics contend contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS, and child marriages, which are sanctioned with parental consent under the Marriage Act of 1971 for girls 12 years of age or older. While some authorities believe that FGM is declining, a 1996 government report has suggested that it is on the rise, especially in the central region. In 1998 the Dodoma Traditional Practices and Beliefs Committee, supported by a World Health Organization grant, began a program to eliminate FGM in the Dodoma region.
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Violence against women
Violence against women remained widespread. Legal remedies exist in the form of assault provisions under the Criminal Code; however, in practice these provisions are difficult to enforce. The Marriage Act of 1971 makes a declaration against spousal battery, but does not prohibit it or provide for any punishment. Traditional customs that subordinate women remain strong in both urban and rural areas and local magistrates often upheld such practices. Women may be punished by their husbands for not bearing children. It is accepted for a husband to treat his wife as he wishes, and wife beating occurs at all levels of society. Cultural, family, and social pressures prevent many women from reporting abuses to the authorities. Nonetheless, in 1998 the Ministry of Home Affairs noted that an average of 10,000 cases of wife beating are reported annually. In 1998 the Ruvuma regional crime officer noted that a large number of women are killed by their husbands or commit suicide as a result of domestic battery. Women in refugee camps suffers a high level of rape and gender abuse perpetrated by other refugees. Government officials frequently make public statements criticizing such abuses, but action rarely is taken against perpetrators. In 1998 in response to intensified concern about violence against women, Parliament passed into law the Sexual Offenses Special Provisions Bill which, among other things, provides for life imprisonment for persons convicted of rape and child molestation. Several persons were prosecuted for rape and battery under this law during the year.
Several NGO's provide counseling and education programs on women's rights problems, particularly sexual harassment and molestation. In June the Government reinstated the National Women's Council, an NGO it had deregistered in 1997.
Child labor is a problem. The law does not prohibit trafficking. A 1998 study funded by the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported a growth in child prostitution, including forced prostitution. Reportedly senior government officials are involved in the practice. There were also reports of children forced into prostitution by parents or guardians in need of extra income. There were reports of children forced into prostitution by parents or guardians in need of extra income.
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Main sources: U.S. Department of State, CIA, Mundo negro
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