Child Marriage in Tanzania

A Human Rights Perspective

Abstract

Child marriage persists in Tanzania despite Tanzania being party to and ratifying international and regional human rights instruments, which call for the abolition of harmful traditional practices such as child marriage. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), urgent action is needed to take solutions to scale and prevent the thousands of girl children in Tanzania today from being married in the next decade(s). This paper aims to critically analyse the law and measures taken by the government to deal with child marriage in Tanzania in light of the obligations accrued from international human rights instruments that Tanzania is a party to. Secondary data has been utilised to analyse Tanzania’s response to its international human rights obligations on child marriage, and to make appropriate recommendations for reform.