Hegemony of Harm: How ‘Disciplining and Correction’ Sustains Violence against Women in Tanzania
This qualitative study conducted in Tanzania reveals that violence against women is sustained not merely as individual acts of abuse but as a socially normalized expression of patriarchal hegemony, where the framing of violence as "discipline" or "correction," combined with institutional failures and intersecting socio-economic factors, reinforces gender inequality and hinders effective prevention.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Violence against women is a global reality that touches health, safety, and the basic dignity of human life. For decades, researchers have tracked how often it happens and the terrible physical and emotional toll it takes on survivors. Yet, a crucial piece of the puzzle has often remained hidden in plain sight: how do the communities where this violence occurs actually understand it? In many places, the answer is not that people are unaware of the harm, but that they have learned to see certain acts of violence as normal, even necessary. This perspective relies on the idea of patriarchy, a social system where men hold primary power and authority, and hegemony, a concept describing how a dominant group maintains control not just by force, but by convincing everyone else that their way of thinking is natural and right. When these ideas take root, violence can be redefined not as abuse, but as a legitimate way to correct behavior or maintain order. Understanding this shift in perception is vital because efforts to stop violence often fail if they do not address the deep-seated beliefs that make it acceptable to the people living with it.
A team of researchers from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania set out to explore exactly these beliefs. They traveled to five regions across the mainland—Arusha, Singida, Geita, Mara, and Simiyu—areas known for having higher rates of violence against women than the national average. Between late 2022 and early 2023, the researchers spoke with 93 people in total. This group included 20 women who had survived violence, 25 key informants who were a mix of men, community leaders, and service providers like police officers, and 48 other community members who took part in group discussions. The goal was not just to count incidents, but to listen to how men, women, and survivors themselves explained why violence happens and what it means in their daily lives.
The researchers found a striking contradiction in how people viewed these events. Almost everyone they spoke with could clearly identify different forms of violence, including physical beating, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and economic neglect. They understood that these acts caused severe pain, disability, and trauma. However, a significant number of participants, including some survivors and men who identified as allies against violence, did not view all these acts as wrong. Instead, they described many instances of violence as a form of "discipline" or "correction." In this view, if a woman was perceived to have acted disrespectfully, argued with her husband, or failed to meet certain expectations, a man beating her was not seen as an act of cruelty, but as a necessary method to set her back on the right path. One survivor shared that she eventually came to believe the violence she suffered was actually her husbands trying to help her avoid mistakes, a perspective that illustrates how deeply these justifications can take hold.
This acceptance of violence is rooted in a social order where men are seen as the natural heads of households and the ultimate decision-makers. The researchers described this as a system where the interests of men are presented as universal truths, leading women and the wider community to consent to their own subordination. When a man uses force, it is often framed as an exercise of his rightful authority rather than an abuse of power. This dynamic is reinforced by the belief that women are responsible for provoking violence through their own behavior, such as using "bad language" or failing to listen. Consequently, neighbors and family members often hesitate to intervene, assuming the woman brought the trouble upon herself. This internalized belief system makes it difficult for victims to recognize their own suffering as abuse and makes it hard for communities to offer support.
Beyond these social norms, the study highlighted how other factors feed into the cycle of violence. Poverty was identified as a major driver, forcing young girls into early marriages where they are traded for money or livestock, leaving them trapped in abusive situations with no way to escape. Alcohol use was frequently cited as a trigger that lowers inhibitions and escalates conflicts, while in some mining areas, superstitious beliefs led to sexual violence, with perpetrators convinced that such acts would bring them wealth. Perhaps most damaging to the fight against violence was the failure of institutions meant to protect women. Survivors reported that when they tried to seek help from the police or courts, they often faced indifference, corruption, or a lack of consequences for the attackers. In some cases, perpetrators would simply pay off the investigators or the victims to drop the charges, leaving the cycle of abuse unbroken.
The study suggests that the persistence of violence in Tanzania is not because people do not know it is harmful, but because the social and cultural structures around them have normalized it. Violence is sustained not only by the direct acts of aggression but by a collective agreement that these acts are a valid way to manage relationships and enforce gender roles. The researchers concluded that simply raising awareness about the dangers of violence is not enough. To create lasting change, interventions must challenge the very idea that men have the right to discipline women and must strengthen institutions so that they hold perpetrators accountable. Without dismantling the belief systems that frame violence as correction, efforts to stop it will likely continue to fall short.
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