by Sara Maki

(August 2007) Cheza Chezeka is unfaithful to his partner, engages in unsafe sex, and acquires a sexually transmitted infection. Fikirini, on the other hand, learns how to communicate and resist sexual temptation and peer pressure. Tino Mashakani abuses his girlfriend and brags about his violent behavior to his friends until one of them steps forward with advice on resolving conflicts in a nonviolent way.

Each of these dramatic characters was developed by the Tuelimishane project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which used community-based theater as a medium for peer education related to HIV and gender-based violence.¹

Attitudes condoning gender-based violence are widespread in Dar es Salaam.² Nearly 48 percent of men surveyed, ages 16 to 24, thought that a wife should tolerate being beaten to keep the family together. Women also condoned the use of violence in certain situations, with one in three agreeing that violence is justified if a woman disobeys her partner.

Approximately 41 percent of women in Dar es Salaam have ever experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, according to a World Health Organization study.³ According to the authors of the Tuelimishane HIV and Violence Prevention Report, who received an Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG) small grant for this work, "there was a clear association between men's HIV risk behaviors and their reported use of violence." Men who reported more than one sexual partner were three to five times more likely to report violence in their relationships.

The goals of the Tanzanian community theater and peer education project, which began in 2004, were to reduce HIV risk behaviors among young men and to reduce the rate of partner violence, "in order to create an environment that will enable women to negotiate safe sexual behaviors," according to the authors. To meet these objectives, drama groups held 21 performances of three different plays, and reached a total of 6,942 community members. The skits were held at venues young men frequented, such as market places, bus depots, soccer matches, and bars. The themes of the plays included sexual communication, infidelity, and conflict resolution. To reinforce the messages of each performance, members of the drama group would also give easy-to-read print material to the audience and conduct peer-support groups that "provided men with a safe forum to discuss sexual behavior, HIV risk and conflict resolution."

Though a final analysis of the post-intervention data is not yet available, preliminary results show that in the intervention group approximately 12 percent more men reported using a condom in their last sexual encounter; there were no significant differences, however, in their sexual activity, number of sexual partners, or consumption of alcohol prior to sex. Violent behavior within their relationships was also reported to occur at the same rate.

The researchers did find evidence that male attitudes related to gender-based violence improved. The study points out that "men in the intervention community were significantly less likely to report that violence against women is justified under various scenarios, including if she did not complete her household work, if she disobeyed her partner, if he suspects she is unfaithful, if he learns she is unfaithful, and if she asks him to use a condom.

The study also offers insights into the process of using community theater to discuss gender-based violence and HIV. The researchers have been able to derive some best practices for how to successfully engage community members in a constructive dialogue during the drama component. First, local youth input is critical to effectively design the intervention messages and to tailor solutions for combating HIV in individual communities. Secondly, it is important to use local forms of expression, such as dance and music to encourage participation. Finally, according to the authors, the use of community role models, such as musicians, basketball players, and students, in the drama appeared to engage the audience in the messages that were communicated through the drama.

The peer-support component of the study proved to be more challenging. The researchers found that many of the male participants were not able to commit to the 12-month intervention. The urban community of Dar es Salaam was highly mobile, and job opportunities and family responsibilities often resulted in the men dropping out of the peer support groups. Due to poor retention rates and budget constraints, the researchers were only able to follow up with 63 percent of the male participants in the intervention community. Suggestions made by the authors to lessen these difficulties include: target men at social venues instead of their place of residence, be aware that sustained contact with participants in an urban setting is challenging, and articulate the incentives for participation throughout the year-long process.

Sara Maki is an intern at the Population Reference Bureau.

References

1. Jessie Mbwambo et al., "HIV and Violence Prevention Final Report," Horizons Report (Washington, DC: Population Council, forthcoming).
2. Heidi Lary et al., "Exploring the Association Between HIV and Violence: Young People's Experiences with Infidelity, Violence and Forced Sex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania," International Family Planning Perspectives 30, no. 4 (2004): 200-206.
3. World Health Organization, WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women (Geneva: WHO, 2005): 29.