Nambuo’s quest to give girls a choice

DAR ES SALAAM: LAWYER Irene Nambuo has made it her mission to ensure that Tanzanian girls grow up with choices, not early marriages. As Coordinator of the Tanzania End Child Marriage Network (TECMN), she is helping lead national efforts to challenge laws, cultural norms and economic pressures that still push many girls into marriage before adulthood.

Soft-spoken yet unwavering, she is part of a growing movement determined to confront practices that have limited opportunities for girls for generations.

For Irene, the fight against child marriage is not simply advocacy work. It is a personal mission to protect dreams before they are silenced.

As Coordinator, Irene works through a secretariat hosted by the Child Dignity Forum.

She partners with civil society organizations, educators, religious leaders and grassroots activists to advance the network’s mission of building a Tanzania free from child marriage.

For her, the work goes beyond policy reform. It is about restoring dreams that are often cut short.

“There are so many dreams that are cut short, and sometimes it begins with the very laws that are supposed to protect our girls,” she says.

At the centre of the debate is the Law of Marriage Act 1971, which historically allowed girls to marry below the age of 18 with parental or court consent.

In 2016, the High Court ruling in Rebeca Gyumi v Attorney General declared sections of the law unconstitutional and called for reforms, though full legislative amendments have taken time. This contradiction deeply troubles Irene.

“How can a girl be considered too young to vote, too young to make national decisions, yet old enough to become a wife and mother?” she asks.

For her, legal reform is not symbolic. It is foundational. Changing the law can create a stronger platform for awareness campaigns and community education, helping people understand that social expectations must evolve with time.

Through her work, Irene has come face to face with the complex web of factors driving child marriage in Tanzania.

According to UNICEF, about 30 per cent of women aged 20–24 in Tanzania were married before the age of 18, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing advocates and policymakers.

Poverty often pushes families to view daughters as economic relief through bride price. Cultural norms, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in some communities, are sometimes seen as preparation for marriage.

Limited access to education, especially in rural and fishing communities, also narrows opportunities for girls. Social perceptions can play a powerful role, where girls are considered ready for marriage once they reach puberty.

In some cases, parents even discourage their daughters from excelling in school in order to marry them off.

“In some communities, a girl becomes a burden the moment she matures,” Irene says.

But Irene refuses to see girls as burdens. She sees them as leaders in waiting.

Her passion for advocacy did not emerge in isolation. It was nurtured at home.

Her mother, also legally trained, was active in women’s groups and often provided legal aid to those who needed it most. As a young girl, Irene watched her mother defend women’s land rights and economic freedoms.

Those early experiences shaped her understanding of justice.

“My mother supported me fully. If I was given the chance to study and succeed, why shouldn’t another girl?” she recalls.

That question has become the heartbeat of her advocacy.

Although she officially stepped into her coordinating role only months ago, the broader movement has decades of history behind it. Activists began pushing for reforms as early as the 1990s, and their persistence continues to inspire younger advocates like Irene.

She understands that meaningful change takes time. Still, she believes progress is visible.

Tanzania has expanded free basic education up to Form Four, meaning many girls now remain in school until they are at least seventeen or eighteen. Staying in school often delays early marriage and gives girls greater opportunities to shape their futures.

“We cannot say nothing has changed. If we look at where we started and where we are now, there is progress. The tail that remains is small, but it still matters,” Irene says.

The network’s work is wideranging. It collaborates with teachers and religious leaders to help protect girls within their communities. Parenting programmes encourage families to support their daughters’ education and development.

Member organisations also work closely with fishing and pastoralist communities where vulnerability to child marriage is higher.

Legal education programmes aim to help communities understand laws and rights more clearly. Other initiatives teach girls about their rights while encouraging them to stay in school.

The network also monitors government commitments and contributes to policy discussions related to child protection and gender equality.

Being a woman leader in advocacy is not without challenges. Irene acknowledges subtle resistance and quiet scepticism that sometimes arises in spaces traditionally dominated by men.

“When I first started offering legal services, some older men would look at me and wonder what this young woman could possibly advise them on,” she recalls.

Over time, she says, competence silences doubt. Resilience is essential in this line of work. Giving up easily, she explains, is not an option.

For Irene, effective leadership begins with confidence. A woman must believe in her voice and understand what she stands for.

Mental maturity is equally important, she adds, because every decision carries consequences.

“Know what you want. And understand that change comes with both resistance and responsibility,” she advises.

While legal reform remains critical, Irene’s dream stretches beyond legislation and court rulings.

She envisions a Tanzania where every girl has the opportunity she had to study, grow and make decisions about her own future.

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For her, the fight against child marriage is not simply about changing laws. It is about ensuring that every girl grows up with the chance to learn, to choose her path and to build her own future.

“Girls are still being born. And as long as they are, we must keep fighting,” she says.