Activists seek dialogue on reforms to Tanzania’s marriage laws, minimum age of marriage for girls

DODOMA: STAKEHOLDERS working on women’s and children’s rights have called for continued dialogue on reforms to Tanzania’s marriage laws, particularly provisions governing the minimum age of marriage for girls.

The call was made in Dodoma today, September 30, 2026, during a high-level strategic engagement on “Situational Analysis and Reforms,” which brought together representatives from relevant government institutions, the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance, the Law Reform Commission, civil society organisations and the media to discuss gaps and possible reforms to the existing legal framework.

Executive Director of the Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA), Adv. Tike Mwambipile, said the stakeholders were continuing consultations on proposals to raise the minimum age at which a girl can marry from the current provisions to 18 years, or higher if possible.

She said the Marriage Act contains several provisions that require review, but stakeholders have continued to prioritise the issue of child marriage because of concerns over the ability of children below 18 to make informed decisions about marriage and deal with its associated responsibilities.

“The issue is not new. We have been engaging different stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, and today we are engaging directly with institutions responsible for the relevant laws and policies to understand where the challenges are and what needs to be done,” she said.

Coordinator of the Tanzania End Child Marriage Network (TECMN), Irene Nambuo, said stakeholders were seeking to understand why efforts to reform the legal framework had taken time and how existing laws could be harmonised to provide clearer and more consistent protection for children.

She said the continued use of provisions dating back to the 1970s had created a need for further discussion on how different laws governing children’s rights interact in practice.

Tanzania Child Rights Forum (TCRF) Programme Manager, Rogasian Massue, said the organisation was advocating for legal and policy frameworks that consistently protect children’s rights, including their rights to education and participation in decisions affecting their lives.

He said the existence of different age thresholds across various laws raised questions about consistency in the legal framework, noting that while some laws recognise 18 as an important age for certain rights and responsibilities, marriage provisions have historically provided for younger ages for girls under specified circumstances.

Stakeholders said the discussions were also taking place against the broader need to strengthen investment in children, particularly education, and ensure that laws and policies work together to protect children’s rights.

The engagement forms part of ongoing consultations among government institutions and other stakeholders on possible reforms to the legal framework governing marriage and the protection of children in Tanzania.