DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Tanzania
East Africa · Country law profile
Tanzania: women’s rights and civic space laws
Tanzania’s Constitution guarantees equality and reserves at least 30% of National Assembly seats for women, and women held about 37.6% of seats after the October 2025 election. Key gaps remain in the law: girls can still marry at 15 under the Law of Marriage Act despite a 2019 Court of Appeal ruling, marital rape is not a crime unless the spouses are separated, there is no standalone domestic violence law, and customary inheritance rules discriminate against widows and daughters. Civic space is rated repressed by the CIVICUS Monitor, and the 2025 elections were followed by an internet shutdown, killings of protesters, treason prosecutions and a ban on rallies. Same-sex relations are criminalised under the Penal Code.
At a glance
| Capital | Dodoma |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Mixed: English common law, statutory law, customary law and Islamic law (applied in personal matters); Zanzibar has its own legislature and Penal Code for non-union matters |
| Official languages | Kiswahili and English |
Key indicators
37.6% (147 of 391)Women in National Assembly (2025)
15Minimum legal age of marriage for girls, with parental consent (2026)
29.1%Women aged 20 to 24 first married before 18 (2022)
5%Girls married before 15
67World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks score (2026)
276 per 100,000Maternal mortality ratio, live births (2023)
23.8%Ever-partnered women aged 15 to 49 experiencing partner violence in the last 12 months (2023)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 05/11/2003 / ratified 03/03/2007 / deposited 07/05/2007 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | No signature or ratification listed in the AU status table as of 8 July 2024 |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977 (as amended); Zanzibar has its own Constitution of 1984 |
|---|---|
| Equality guarantees | Articles 12 and 13 guarantee equality of all persons and equality before the law; Articles 12 to 16 and 29 to 30 protect dignity, life, personal freedom and privacy |
| Quotas or parity | Constitutional requirement that women make up not less than 30% of the National Assembly, delivered through special seats for women allocated to parties in proportion to their seats (122 reserved seats after the 2025 election) |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
No specific domestic violence law. Assault and related offences in the Penal Code (Cap. 16); protection orders for children under the Law of the Child Act, 2009
Domestic violence is prosecuted only under general criminal offences; child protection orders exist under the Law of the Child Act.
Gaps: No standalone law and no protection orders for adult survivors (World Bank Women, Business and the Law).
Rape and sexual offences
Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998 (Act No. 4 of 1998), amending Penal Code section 130
Defines rape and sets heavier penalties for sexual offences, including defilement and sexual exploitation.
Gaps: Marital rape is not criminalised: rape by a husband is an offence only if the wife is separated from him.
Source: clr.africanchildforum.org
Sexual harassment
Penal Code section 138D (inserted by the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998); Cybercrimes Act, 2015, section 23
Criminalises unwelcome sexual advances by words or action, with fines or imprisonment and possible compensation; the Cybercrimes Act covers online harassment.
Source: clr.africanchildforum.org, worldbank.org
Female genital mutilation
Penal Code section 169A (cruelty to children), inserted by the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998
Criminalises female genital mutilation of persons under 18, with 5 to 15 years’ imprisonment, fines and compensation.
Gaps: No protection for women aged 18 and over.
Source: clr.africanchildforum.org, gfmer.ch
Child marriage and age of marriage
Law of Marriage Act, 1971 (Cap. 29 R.E. 2002), sections 13 and 17
Sets the minimum age at 18 for boys and 15 for girls with parental consent, or 14 with court permission. In Rebeca Gyumi v. Attorney General the High Court (2016) and the Court of Appeal (23 October 2019) declared these sections unconstitutional and set 18 for both.
Gaps: Parliament has not amended the Act as of March 2026, so child marriages continue.
Family and personal status
Law of Marriage Act, 1971 (Cap. 29)
Governs civil, religious and customary marriages, divorce and division of matrimonial assets (section 114 requires courts to consider each spouse’s contribution).
Gaps: Permits polygamous marriages; courts have tended to count only financial contributions when dividing assets.
Inheritance and succession
Local Customary Law (Declaration) (No. 4) Order, Government Notice 436 of 1963; Islamic law and the Indian Succession Act also apply
Customary rules govern many estates and give sons and daughters, and surviving spouses, unequal shares.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee found that the patrilineal customary inheritance system violates the Convention; no reform enacted.
Land and property
Land Act, 1999 (section 3(2)); Law of Marriage Act sections 56, 58 and 60
Provides that women have the same rights as men to acquire, hold and dispose of land and property, including married women.
Gaps: Customary inheritance rules limit women’s access to family land in practice.
Source: worldbank.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Penal Code (Cap. 16), sections 150 to 152 and 230
Criminalises abortion; section 230 allows surgical operation in good faith to preserve the woman’s life.
Gaps: Saving the woman’s life is the only explicit ground. Article 14(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol has not been domesticated.
Source: gfmer.ch
Political participation and quotas
Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977 (special seats for women); Political Parties Act (as amended 2019)
Requires at least 30% women in the National Assembly through special seats distributed to parties.
Gaps: Few women are elected in constituencies (37 directly elected in 2025 according to International IDEA).
Source: data.ipu.org, idea.int
Labour and maternity
Employment and Labour Relations Act, 2004 (sections 7, 33 and 34); National Social Security Fund Act
Prohibits discrimination based on sex, marital status and pregnancy and requires equal pay for work of equal value; provides maternity leave paid through social security, and paternity leave.
Source: worldbank.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Cybercrimes Act, 2015; Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, 2020 (amended 2022)
Section 23 of the Cybercrimes Act covers cyber bullying and harassment; the Act also criminalises publishing false information. The Online Content Regulations require registration of online platforms with the regulator.
Gaps: Broad ‘false information’ offences (section 16) are used against critics.
Source: worldbank.org, icnl.org
Human rights defenders
No specific law
No dedicated protection law for human rights defenders exists.
Gaps: Human rights defenders face abductions, enforced disappearances and cross-border repression.
Source: capacity4dev.europa.eu, hrw.org
Vulnerable Groups
Penal Code (Cap. 16), sections 154 to 157 and 138A (mainland); Zanzibar Penal Act, sections 150 and 153
Criminalises same-sex sexual relations; section 154 carries 30 years to life imprisonment. Zanzibar’s section 153 specifically criminalises sexual relations between women.
Source: gfmer.ch
Data protection
Personal Data Protection Act, 2022 (Cap. 44)
Regulates the collection and processing of personal data and creates a data protection regulator.
Gaps: It has no provisions on technology-facilitated gender-based violence or on preserving digital evidence for survivors.
Source: tanzania.unfpa.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Electronic and Postal Communications Act (Cap. 306) and Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, 2020
Regulate online content and the duties of service providers, and form part of the framework used against online harms.
Gaps: They do not define technology-facilitated gender-based violence or set survivor-protective procedures, and the regulations also require bloggers to be licensed.
Source: tanzania.unfpa.org
Trafficking
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2008
Criminalises trafficking in persons and is part of the legal framework for responding to gender-based violence.
Source: tanzania.unfpa.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Legal Aid Act, 2017
Provides for legal aid to vulnerable persons, including persons with disabilities, and requires courts to improve access to it.
Gaps: Referral and reporting systems for gender-based violence against women with disabilities remain weak.
Source: unprpd.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Persons with Disabilities Act, 2010 (Mainland Tanzania)
Guarantees rights to health care, education, employment, accessibility and rehabilitation, with a 3% employment quota for employers of 20 or more people.
Gaps: It contains no specific provisions for women and girls with disabilities and enforcement of its anti-discrimination rules is weak.
Source: unprpd.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Zanzibar)
Provides rights to social support, health care, education, employment and accessibility in Zanzibar and sets up a Disability Council.
Gaps: It has no specific provisions for women and girls with disabilities and is under review.
Source: unprpd.org
Human rights defenders
Non-Governmental Organizations Act, 2002 (amended 2005, 2018 and 2019)
Governs registration and operation of NGOs through the NGO Coordination Board.
Gaps: Registration can be refused on broad public interest grounds, and renewal is required every ten years. NGOs also face close government monitoring.
Source: icnl.org
Civic space
| CIVICUS Monitor rating | Repressed (score 26/100), rated repressed since 2018 |
|---|---|
| NGO and association law | NGO Act, 2002 (as amended, including 2019): mandatory registration, the board may refuse registration of activities ‘not in the public interest’, 10-year renewal; Societies Act for associations |
| Press and media law | Media Services Act, 2016: ministerial discretion to ban publications (sections 58 and 59); criminal defamation repealed in 2023 amendments |
| Cybercrime law | Cybercrimes Act, 2015 (section 16 ‘false information’); Online Content Regulations, 2020 and 2022, used to suspend online outlets in 2025 and 2026 |
| Human rights defenders law | No specific law |
| Public order and counter-terrorism | Police Force and Auxiliary Services Act (48-hour notice, police stop orders); Political Parties Act 2019 amendments restrict civic education; nationwide ban on political rallies imposed June 2026 |
| Notes | The main opposition party was excluded from the October 2025 elections and its leader has been detained on treason charges since April 2025. A presidential commission reported at least 518 people killed in the post-election violence. |
Social protection
Universal Health Insurance Act, 2023
Signed on 4 December 2023. Nationwide roll-out started on 26 January 2026.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz
Older persons
No specific law on older persons
Mainland Tanzania has a National Ageing Policy (2003) but no law. Zanzibar adopted its own law on elderly affairs in 2020.
Gaps: No law on the rights of older persons.
Source: ippmedia.co.tz
Recent developments
- June 2026. Government imposed a nationwide ban on political rallies and assemblies, challenged by civil society as unconstitutional.
- 15 April 2026. Court of Appeal lifted the High Court injunction that had frozen the main opposition party’s political activities.
- March 2026. Law of Marriage Act sections 13 and 17 still unamended, nearly seven years after the Court of Appeal ruling.
- 20 November 2025. Presidential Commission of Inquiry into post-election violence established.
- 29 October 2025. General election followed by a nationwide internet blackout until 3 November and lethal force against protesters.
- May 2025. Communications regulator shut down tens of thousands of websites and social media accounts and blocked X.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Amend sections 13 and 17 of the Law of Marriage Act to set 18 as the minimum age for all marriages, as ordered by the Court of Appeal in 2019.
- Remove the marital rape exception in section 130 of the Penal Code and adopt a comprehensive domestic violence law with protection orders for adult survivors.
- Repeal discriminatory customary inheritance rules (GN 436 of 1963) in line with the CEDAW Committee’s decision on Tanzania.
- Domesticate Article 14(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol by expanding legal grounds for abortion beyond saving the woman’s life.
- Amend the Cybercrimes Act, the Online Content Regulations and the NGO Act to end criminalisation of ‘false information’ and arbitrary deregistration, and adopt protection for human rights defenders.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: harmful practices, girls’ education, nationality. Corrections and documents are welcome at programs@rflgd.org.
African Union treaties
Status of 29 African Union treaties as recorded in the official AU status lists published by the African Union Commission. The date of each list is shown: a ratification deposited after that date may not appear yet. 7 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 03/03/2007 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 18/02/1984 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 16/03/2003 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 07/02/2006 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Not signed | 08/07/2024 |
| AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 20/12/2012 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 10/01/1975 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 22/02/2005 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (21)
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- africanlegalstudies.blog · the non enforcement of the judicial ban of female child m…
- documents1.worldbank.org · IDU0c22bfcb20c964047e50850300040e763a275
- girlsnotbrides.org · tanzania
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL2024 Economy Scores
- au.int · 37077 sl PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEO…
- resourcehub.bakermckenzie.com · 1legal provisions
- worldbank.org · WBL24 2 0 Tanzania
- clr.africanchildforum.org · tanzania sexualoffences 1998 en
- gfmer.ch · Tanzania
- fbattorneys.co.tz · court of appeal rules under 18 marriage unconstitutional
- esitlikakademisi.tedu.edu.tr · EN Africa Family Laws Tanzania w case study
- idea.int · october 2025
- icnl.org · tanzania
- capacity4dev.europa.eu · 3ac93a9b b0bd 4509 8542 0e2edf9a53d9 en
- hrw.org · tanzania
- monitor.civicus.org · tanzania
- monitor.civicus.org · systematic crackdown on civic space continues in the afte…
- amnesty.org · report tanzania
- tanzania.unfpa.org · UNFPA Tanzania policy brief on technology-facilitated GBV 2025
- unprpd.org · UNPRPD situational analysis of disability rights in Tanzania 2022
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Information verified as of October 2026. This page is for information and advocacy and is not legal advice. Laws change: check the official text before relying on it. Part of the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center of the Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD). See also the Maputo Protocol Hub and the Maputo Barometer.
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