Tanzania may have raised the legal age of marriage for girls from 14 to 18 following the 2016 landmark ruling that is hailed as a milestone for gender equality. But the reality on the ground continues to tell a different story.
In many communities, child marriages persist, cutting short girls’ education and reinforcing deeply rooted gender inequalities.
Although the law now treats boys and girls equally in terms of the minimum age for marriage, the practice persists largely unchanged. Nationally, 29% of girls marry before the age of 18, compared with just 4% of boys.
In regions such as Shinyanga and Tabora, child marriage rates among girls remain alarmingly high, reaching up to 59% and 55% respectively. These figures reveal a troubling disconnect between national legislation and local realities faced by boys and girls across Tanzania.
Child marriage, sometimes referred to as early marriage, is a formal or informal union involving a person under the age of 18. This practice remains widespread not just in Tanzania, but across Central and West Africa and South Asia. In Tanzania, gender inequality, tradition, poverty and social expectations continue to fuel early marriages, particularly for girls.
Boys are also subjected to this practice, with many who marry young experiencing disruptions to their education. This comes as a consequence of early fatherhood, which pushes many into adult responsibilities before they are ready, forcing them to leave school to support the household. Though the numbers are smaller, the consequences remain significant.
When girls marry early, they often face adolescent pregnancy and the burden of household responsibilities, leaving them little chance of continuing their education. Schools frequently exclude pregnant girls or young mothers, reinforcing their marginalisation.
Unjust outcomes
This phenomenon is shaped by numerous social and economic conditions, including poverty, as the bride price serves as an immediate economic benefit for families when their daughters marry early. Such outcomes are not merely unjust, but they infringe the realisation of the right to access education in Tanzania.
Alarmingly, many still hold views that support these practices. A recent Afrobarometer survey found that more than 21% of respondents disagreed with the idea that girls and women should decide when or whether to marry. When asked whether girls should remain in school after becoming pregnant, nearly 40% opposed the idea, with 29% strongly disagreeing.
These attitudes reveal a society struggling to reconcile girls’ rights with traditional norms. These perceptions state that girls should not have the right to express their personal freedoms and autonomy when it concerns marriage.
These perceptions not only violate girls’ rights, but also undermine Tanzania’s efforts towards achieving theUN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on gender equality, education and good health and wellbeing.
The National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children serves as a positive framework for eradicating child marriages in Tanzania. Its commitments towards challenging harmful gender attitudes, beliefs, norms and stereotypes are needed approaches towards combatting child marriage.
Energising initiatives
To end child marriage, Tanzania must go beyond changing laws. The government and civil society need to invest in energising initiatives that are pointed towards eradicating child marriages from the grassroots to national levels.
This approach should be anchored in shifting the existing perceptions that continue to perpetuate and normalise this practice within communities across the country. Furthermore, the onus rests on the active participation of parents, teachers and local leaders to challenge harmful norms and support girls in staying in school. Girls need to be recognised as autonomous individuals with rights, dreams and immense potential.
If Tanzania wants to secure a just and prosperous future, it must protect the rights of all children, especially the most vulnerable. DM