Treating Beyond Ailment: Fistula and Gender Vulnerabilities in Remote Tanzania

It is estimated that approximately 3,000 women develop obstetric fistula, leading to unhealthy pregnancy, early and prolonged labor, and in some cases stillbirth in Tanzania every year. Fistula often compounds the vulnerability of the women who are victims of a poor health facility, early marriage, and other gender gaps.

In this chapter, the author explores the extra-medical causes of fistula in remote locations (Pwani Region) of Tanzania from a practitioner’s perspective. The author considers the stories of four women who experienced fistula. The author interviewed the women over a period of five years between 2013 and 2018. Using narrative analysis, the author examined the interviews.

The narrative analysis indicates that fistula is a product of a gender biased social system that favors men, ultimately limits women’s freedom, stifling their development. Importantly, the main value of this analysis is to promote awareness that aside from medical treatment, social interventions are required to reconstruct the social belief system and eliminate the stigma associated with obstetric fistula. A list of social interventions that proactively manage the incidence of fistula and help integrate affected women back into the society sustainably is recommended.