A just society that respects women and children's rights.

Inheritance

Under customary and Islamic law, widows have often been denied inheritance, with property passing to male relatives instead. In 2000, Tanzania amended its Constitution to explicitly prohibit gender discrimination. Where a valid will exists, it is binding; without one, courts decide how the estate is distributed.

African Charter Protocol on Women's Rights: "A widow shall have the right to an equitable share in the inheritance of the property of the husband."

Marriage

Tanzania's Law of Marriage Act (1971) recognizes both monogamous and polygamous unions, depending on religion, custom or culture. The Act has long been criticized as discriminatory, since it permits marriage from as young as 15 with parental consent, or 14 with a court's permission — well below the internationally recognized minimum of 18. A landmark High Court ruling in 2016 — upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2019 — found these provisions unconstitutional and ordered government to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18. The Act itself, however, has not yet been formally amended.

AWLAHURIO advocates that the legal minimum age of marriage should be 18 years, full stop — with no distinction by gender. Marrying before this age cuts a child's education short, carries serious health risks from early pregnancy, and leaves them more vulnerable to violence and poverty.

Sections 13 & 17, Law of Marriage Act 1971: marriage is legally permitted from age 15 with parental consent, or age 14 with a court's approval.

Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence is a serious infringement of human rights. Cultural pressure and stigma often discourage women from reporting abuse, and Tanzanian law still has gaps — including the absence of a specific law against domestic violence. AWLAHURIO offers a free, safe space to seek help.

All meetings with AWLAHURIO on gender-based violence are strictly confidential.

Children's Rights

Under Tanzanian law, a child is anyone under 18. Beyond basic human rights, children hold specific protections under the Law of the Child Act 2009 — including the right to a caring environment, food, shelter, education, and the right to play.

"The best interest of a child shall be the primary consideration in all actions concerning a child."

Gender Equality

Gender inequality in Tanzania runs through nearly every part of daily life — from who inherits land, to who leads in village councils and parliament, to who stays in school longer, to who walks further for water when there's a drought. Real change means addressing all of these together, not one at a time.

Climate change is not gender-neutral. As droughts lengthen across the Arusha region, it is overwhelmingly women and girls who walk further to fetch water and firewood — often at the cost of schooling or income — while also carrying the heaviest share of caring for children and the elderly through crop failures and food shortages.

Tanzania's Constitution guarantees equality (Article 13), yet women hold fewer than a third of local council seats, and girls remain more likely than boys to leave school early due to marriage, pregnancy or unpaid care work.