The Advocates for Human Rights, together with the Legal Human Rights Centre, submitted a joint stakeholder report on gender-based violence in Tanzania for the 53rd session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review. 

In Tanzania, existing laws are insufficient to effectively prevent early marriage, a prevalent form of gender-based violence against women and girls. 11.9% of girls aged 15-19 were married in 2022. The rapid expansion of the internet has also heightened children's and women's exposure to online harms. Despite this rising prevalence, underreporting remains a barrier to accountability, with victim-survivors refraining from reporting due to fear of retaliation, stigma, reputational harm, and mistrust in authorities. Insufficiently tailored laws and limited enforcement capacity provide an inadequate response to the gendered nature of digital violence.  

Additionally, regional rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) remain alarmingly high. Despite legislation criminalizing FGM, structural barriers to enforcement persist, and sociocultural norms deeply entrench the practice. Sociocultural norms and systemic failures also perpetuate obstetric violence, with up to 73% of women experiencing at least one form of disrespect and abuse during childbirth.  

The authors of this report suggest the following recommendations for the government of Tanzania:  

• Consult with communities and impacted people to identify ways to lower barriers to reporting cases of FGM, including the possibility of suspended sentences for parents or family members who consent to FGM.   

• Increase sustainable investment in maternal health services and ensure equitable access, especially in rural and underserved areas, by guaranteeing consistent availability of essential medicines, equipment, and emergency obstetric supplies.    

• Strengthen enforcement and implementation of national frameworks on ending early marriage by adopting context-specific, community-informed prevention strategies and ensuring that protections extend to out-of-school girls and those from marginalized households.   

• Expand prevention efforts against TFGBV through nationwide digital literacy and cyber-safety campaigns, particularly for young people, and ensure materials are linguistically accessible by providing Kiswahili-based, low-literacy, and culturally relevant content, alongside culture-change programs that confront harmful online subcultures.