Exploring the association between women's access to economic resources and intimate partner violence in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, Tanzania.
The relationship between women's access to economic resources, e.g. employment or access to micro-credit, and experience of intimate partner violence is complex. Empirical evidence documents that in some settings women's employment is associated with higher risk of partner violence but in other settings with lower risk. Evidence also shows that these conflicting associations exist not only between countries but also within different country settings. Using two population-based data sets gathered in 2002 in contrasting Tanzania settings-Dar es Salaam and Mbeya-, we used multivariate logistic regression to examine the relationship between women's access to economic resources and partner violence. Two indicators of economic resources were examined: whether women earned money and whether women owned a business either with someone or exclusively. In Dar es Salaam we found evidence of a higher risk association among women who earned money and who owned a business exclusively by themselves and a lower risk association among women who owned a business with someone. We found no relationship between either indicator of economic resources and partner violence in Mbeya. Other factors were similarly associated with partner violence in both settings and the strongest associations found were related to the respondents' partners: refusal to give money; alcohol use and relationships with other women. The findings support the assertion that women's access to economic resources operate differently in different country settings, thus highlighting the need for targeted prevention efforts that are relevant for the context.
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, PO BOX 2240, Moshi Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Electronic address: seema.vyas.ac@gmail.com.
Seema
S
Vyas
UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO), 4th Floor UN Service Building, Rajadamnoen Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Electronic address: henriette.jansen@gmail.com.
Henrica Afm
HA
Jansen
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Global Health and Development, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lori.heise@lshtm.ac.uk.
Lori
L
Heise
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Electronic address: Jessie.mbwambo@gmail.com.
Jessie
J
Mbwambo
D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D016520:Entrepreneurship; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058025:Interdisciplinary Studies; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011203:Poverty / Q000517:prevention & control; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D058012:Small Business / Q000191:economics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult
Intimate partner violence; Tanzania; Women's employment; Women's entrepreneurship