Gender and blindness in Tanzania:Trying to think outside the eye care box

Marceline FindaKilimanjaro Centre for Community

Ophthalmology

Challenges• Elderly women often

the most marginalized in society

• Blindness often leads to a sense of shame among women

• Health care systems generally not women friendly– Even when brought closer

to the community

Working within the health system…. likely not adequate to address the

problem

• Awareness• Promotion to village leaders,

church leaders, posters, radio announcements

• Accessibility• Outreach to provide transport

for people to hospital for surgery

• Affordability• Made cataract surgery within

the capacity of the population to pay

Experience in Tanzania & other countries in eastern Africa

• We can increase use of services by men and women….but still not achieving gender equity

KCCO’s ongoing learning…

• Women talking to women– Sentinel program

• Women as entrepreneurs

and eye care promoters

• Microfinance and eye health – Taking advantage of

existing microfinance groups to spread eye-care messages

Women as eye care advocates… and entrepreneurs

• Entrepreneurship;– Women were given basic

entrepreneurship training– Some were provided with

funds to start business– They were asked to

advocate eye care services

• Increase in eye care uptake by both men and women– Still not enough

Entrepreneurship…lessons learned

• Some women were highly committed in both the business and in eye care advocacy

• Some women focused only on their new businesses

• Some did neither

• Although program was productive altogether, it was time consuming.

• Microfinance!

• Mostly situated in rural settings

• Most members are women

• Their main goal is to alleviate poverty

• In many villages, every woman belongs to a group

• Regular meetings– often once a week

• Other health programs have used microfinance to spread specific messages (…but not all successful)

Why microfinance?

About eye health• Microfinance

members were trained on eye heath, diabetes and physical disabilities

• The members then talked to and referred people to the eye-outreach clinics

Challenges and limitations

• Financial problems– Transport costs– Other NGOs

• Other more important diseases–Malaria, HIV, malnutrition;

• Need for counseling

Next step…potential for working with Zambia

• Most groups did not practice microfinance– Group income generating activities

• Groups are involved in other activities– Adult literacy, nutrition,– Growth-monitoring – HIV/AIDS and malaria.– Home based care (HBC)

Upcoming plans• Try other settings

• Counseling-training

• Assisting the groups, can be:– Transport – Loans– Income generating

activities