Singida Region September 2020
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A Study on Gender and Eye Health Services - Singida Region September 2020 Gender Issues in Maono Project Areas (Sightsavers Tanzania) Submitted on 22nd April, 2020 by: TGNP P.O. Box 8921, Dar-es-Salaam Tel. +255 22 244 3204 Fax: +255 22 244 3286 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: https://tgnp.org/gender-training/ Contact Person: Clara Kalanga Email: [email protected] Mobile: +255 714 586 092 Attention: To: Dr. G. Katunzi Sightsavers Country Director Email: [email protected] Mobile: +255 677 000 333 2 A Study on Gender and Eye Health Services - Singida Region | September 2020 Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 3 Acronyms & Abbreviations ............................................................................................ 4 Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................... 5 1. Executive Summary .............................................................................................. 6 2. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 13 2.2. Rationale of the Assignment ............................................................................... 14 2.1. Objectives of the Assignment ............................................................................. 14 2.2. Expected Deliverables ........................................................................................ 15 2.3. Limitations ........................................................................................................... 15 3. Documentation Review: Gender Relations and Eye Health ................................ 16 4. Gender Relations in Sightsavers’ Maono Project Areas ..................................... 25 4.1. Socio Cultural Factors in access to Eye Care Services ...................................... 26 4.1. Access to Eye Health Care Services .................................................................. 36 4.2. Institutional Barriers that affect Women’s Needs and Interests in Eye Care Services .............................................................................................................. 40 5. Concluding Remarks and Way Forward ............................................................. 44 5.1. Findings and Recommendations ........................................................................ 44 6. References and Footnotes .................................................................................. 50 3 A Study on Gender and Eye Health Services - Singida Region | September 2020 Acronyms & Abbreviations CBO Community Based Organization CSO Civil Society Organization DCR Dacryocystorhinostomy DHS Demographic and Health Survey DPs Development Partners FGD Focused Group Discussion GBV Gender Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GEWE Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment HRD Human Resource Development LGA Local Government Authority M & E Monitoring and Evaluation MMR Maternal Mortality Ratio NBS National Bureau of Statistics NGO Non-Governmental Organization NPA National Plan of Action PAR Participatory Action Research PO-RALG President Office-Regional Administration and Local Government PWDs People Living with Disabilities PHWs Public Health Workers SP Strategic Plan SIGI Social Inclusion & Gender Index TAMISEMI Tawala za Mikoa na Serikali Mitaa1 TGNP Tanzania Gender Networking Program TZS Tanzanian Shillings SACCOS Savings and Credit Cooperative Society TZS Tanzania Shilling UNFPA United Nation Population Fund URT United Republic of Tanzania VICOBA Village Cooperative Banks VHWs Village Health Workers 1 President Office-Regional Administration and Local Government 4 A Study on Gender and Eye Health Services - Singida Region | September 2020 Acknowledgement This Gender Study Report is an analysis on gender dynamics in Iramba and Manyoni Districts and to inform and guide Sightsavers’ Maono Project program’s future planning and implementation and to contribute to the broader dialogue on Tanzania’s development initiatives. The Gender Study was commissioned by Sightsavers Tanzania. The study was performed through a field visit, review of various literatures and documents, with some obtained from the internet and as hard copies from the client. We are grateful towards Sightsavers’ for showing trust and confidence in Tanzania Gender Networking Program’s ability and competence to provide an upbeat Gender Study report on the topic and theme at hand. It is within such spirit that TGNP’s consultant Mr. Edward Hiza Mhina, embarked on this job, and focused sight on combing various sources to unearth as many leads as possible relevant to the topic and theme at hand. We at TGNP hope that this Gender Study Report we composed shall bring forth a wealth of information to be shared with Sightsavers and their stakeholders. Execution of this Gender Study was guided by Ms. Magdalena Focus Shija and Mr. Edwin Maleko from Sightsavers, and for valuable comments and insight reviews from other Sightsavers staff, namely, Koronel Kema, Gosbert Katunzi, Yvonne Sawe, and Andrew Kilewela. It is sincerely expected that the review report provides Sightsavers and other eye health care stakeholders with an authoritative analysis on situation as regards gender disparities in the access to eye health services by women and men in the world and Tanzania. Mention needs also be made of Government officials and staff in Singida Region who were instrumental in providing tacit support and guidance while in the field. Mention is made on the following: Ms. Shukurani Mmbaga (Singida Region’s RCDO Office), Ms. Lilian Kidoleza (PHO, Iramba District Hospital), Ms. Melina Sabugo (DCDO, Manyoni District Council), Ms Queeni Mshumbula (Iramba District Hospital), Mr. Renatus S. Ngeze (Manyoni District Hospital), plus the District Medical Officers in Iramba and Manyoni Districts, and the Regional Medical Officer in Singida Region. We equally acknowledge with gratitude the Sightsavers Drivers who safely transported the team members during the 2 weeks of fieldwork in Manyoni and Iramba Districts. On the TGNP side, we acknowledge the administrative and logistics support from TGNP Program Officer Ms. Clara Kalanga [Program Officer in charge of consultancies]. Once more, we at TGNP anticipate that this Gender Study Report shall be useful and instrumental in providing more substance towards creation of practical and effective measures in addressing gender disparities in the health sector and do away with prejudice and dishonour against elderly women in accessing visual care in Tanzania. 5 A Study on Gender and Eye Health Services - Singida Region | September 2020 1. Executive Summary 1. Sightsavers is a global organization working to ensure that avoidable blindness are eliminated and people with visual impairments and other disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else. Sightsavers interventions include protecting sight by preventing sight loss and avoidable blindness in some of the poorest parts of the world including Tanzania by treating conditions such as cataracts and fighting debilitating eye diseases. 2. The Gender Study was initiated in order to better comprehend gender dynamics in Singida Region’s Iramba and Manyoni Districts, and to inform and guide Sightsavers’ Maono Project program’s future planning and implementation and to contribute to the broader dialogue on Tanzania’s development initiatives. On the whole, 14 FGDs sessions, with a total 126 stakeholders (67% were females and 33% males), were accomplished in Manyoni (61 persons, of who 69% were females) and Iramba (65 persons of who 67% were females) Districts. Sightsavers’ Maono Project 3. The Gender Study is partly a review of existing strategies and actions concerning gender and development which have been adapted by the Sight Savers. The review assesses consideration of gender aspects in Maono Project activities in Iramba and Manyoni District project areas. More closely, from a gender perspective, the review looks at whether Maono Project has rudiments of gender responsiveness in its project document, and more specifically in regards to strengthening of eye health systems to deliver eye health services targeting at men and women with visual impairment. 4. So far, the Maono Project document shows that the project contains elements of gender mainstreaming through the promotion of female role models through recruitment of female staff or trainers, and in indicating that all training packages shall be designed to include a gender training component. In addition it also shows gender responsiveness in stating that men and women with visual impairment shall access eye health services in all 6 districts, and in addition, community leaders, women groups, disabled peoples organizations, and community health workers were to be targeted with training and awareness raising on eye health. Furthermore, the Maono Project document also states that gender segmentation process shall be incorporated so as to identify specific women groups to target and follow-up. 5. Moreover, the project document also focuses at understanding barriers that targeted women groups undergo in accessing eye health services, and at operating a quality standard assessment process that also ensures “sex disaggregated data will be collected at each screening, and analysed to ensure that targets are met” and to ensure that more women are screened and treated.