There is hope in the world!
This afternoon I sat under a tree with 14 women, a retired male,Tanzanian lawyer (!), a young, male Tanzanian university student studying gender issues (!!!) and a director of a Mwanzan Women’s Rights Organization.
The topic of discussion: marriage laws and property rights. It was an amazing experience.
The women sat bare feet on a grass mat, wrapped head to ankle in colorful kangas. Together, lawyer Chalya and director Yusta taught these middle-aged women about existing laws intended to protect them from abusive, philandering, betraying husbands.
Despite the packs of curious children hovering nearby, chickens fighting and entire families of ducks walking right through the meeting, the women were completely engaged and eager to learn.
“What if you catch your husband only hugging another woman, is that still a case for divorce?”
“What if he takes on a mistress and has children with her--do those children get a share in his property?”
“What if he gave me a house, but then says he is now giving it to another woman? What can I do?”
As good as it is for these women to learn about the laws and their rights, the hard reality is that even an abusive sham of a marriage is usually tolerated--they are poor, have little education and are way beyond prime marriage and childbearing age. It’s heartbreaking that the laws and protective services alone still fail to address long-standing cultural views of men and women’s roles that oppress them continually:
“If he beats me, and I tell the local leader or police, I will feel sorry for him and not want him to go to jail. My friends and family may abandon me as well.”
“If he beats me and I tell the police, he will only beat me more and divorce me and my children and I will have no place to go.”
Still--it's heartening to know such an organization for women exists and I'll explore volunteer opportunities with them over the next few weeks.
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