Background
Male justification of wife-beating refers to a man’s belief that it is acceptable or legitimate to physically discipline or assault his wife under certain circumstances. Research has predominantly focused on women, leaving a critical gap in understanding men’s attitudes and beliefs surrounding violence against women.
Objective
This study aims to address this gap by examining the factors associated with male attitudes toward the justification of wife-beating in Tanzania.
Methods
This study employed an analytical cross-sectional design using secondary data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, which included 5,763 ever-married men. A modified Poisson regression model identified factors, and results were presented as weighted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results
The overall prevalence of male justification of wife-beating was 30.4% (95% CI: 28.1-32.9). Younger men, aged 15-24 years (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [APR] = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.27-2.07), those aged 25-34 years (APR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.34), men who consume alcohol (APR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.17-1.53), those who were cohabiting (APR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.10-1.55) and in men residing in the western, northern, central, southern, and lake zones of mainland Tanzania exhibited significantly higher prevalence of wife-beating justification. Conversely, men with secondary/higher education (APR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.94) and in the middle wealth quantile (APR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66-0.99) were less likely to justify wife-beating.
Conclusion
This study reveals a notable prevalence of male justification of wife-beating in Tanzania, with significant associations identified between key demographic and behavioral factors. These findings underscore the need for multi-pronged strategies that engage men, address socio-cultural norms, and harmful attitudes.