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Tanzania's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) just revealed that 65.8% of women in the country totally believe that it is okay for a husband to discipline (beat) his wife when she commits certain mistakes.
It is the 21st century but Tanzania seems to be living in a different era. Now I'm really curious to see how Ugandan women would respond to such a poll given their known demeanour.
The controversial research conducted by the Tanzania NBS further revealed that 63% believe when the wife cheats on her husband then she ought to be well disciplined.
So what is the essence of fighting for gender equality and the abolition of gender-based violence?
I really can't believe grown women actually participated in this and totally appear not to have a problem with getting ‘disciplined’ from their husbands when they are in the wrong.
The study also notes that 43.6% are of the idea that a woman should be disciplined when she does not tender to their child.
And it gets crazier...41% of the women in the survey are of the opinion that a woman should be disciplined if she argues with her man, while 33.3% think that a woman should be disciplined when she leaves the house without seeking permission.
Imagine a learned lady, whose parents have ensured she studied till the university level, with a job, who is someone's mother being whipped because she didn't ask her husband for permission before leaving their matrimonial house whether to go see a friend or a quick run to the grocery store.
30.2% percent of the women in the survey feel that a wife should never touch her husband's money without permission even if he leaves it lying in the house.
According to this percentage if a wife buys items with her husband’s money without permission then she should be disciplined.
Finishing 16.3 percent feel that when the wife doesn't cook food properly, she should be disciplined.
It is funny how the smallest percentage is the most ironic one... I actually expected it to be the leading one.
If you are reading this and getting ideas, I'd just like to remind you that in Kenya, beating your wife is an offense punishable by a court of law.
Sadly, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost one-third of women experience some form of physical and or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Tanzania's research also revealed that 22% of both women and men aged 15-49 who had sexual intercourse with a person who was neither their spouse nor lived with them used protection.
26.3% of married men in Tanzania had intercourse in the last 12 months with a person who was neither their wife nor lived with them in comparison to women who only accounted for 4.1%.
And lastly, women aged between 15-49 were noted to have had intercourse with an average of 3 men, compared to men in the same age bracket who had slept with an average of eight women.
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