World Vision Tanzania to run a campaign to end child marriage

As part of our contribution to making a significant impact on the well-being of children, World Vision is rolling out a five year global campaign ‘It takes the work to end Violence Against Children’ to ending violence against children, in all its forms, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus of World Vision’s campaign in Tanzania is to End Child Marriage.

“In Tanzania, World Vision’s contribution to this global campaign will be driven by successful work well underway in 13 Regions and 36 Districts where we operate.  Here, World Vision Tanzania will focus its efforts on ending Child Marriage. Child marriage results in early and unwanted pregnancies, posing life-threatening risks for girls. It is a repulsive, sickening, horrible, cruel form of violence against children – especially the girl child. I therefore argue all of us to understand Child Marriage for the violence it is. It is a form of sexual violence towards underaged, voiceless and defenseless children that we must all work together and advocate for change”. Says Tim Andrews, World Vision Tanzania National Director

In Tanzania, World Vision’s contribution to this global campaign will be driven by successful work well underway in 13 Regions and 36 Districts where we operate.  Here, World Vision Tanzania will focus its efforts on ending Child Marriage. Child marriage results in early and unwanted pregnancies, posing life-threatening risks for girls

Situation of Child Marriage

Across the globe, rates of child marriage are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 4 in 10 girls marry before age 18; about one in eight were married or in union before age 15. This is followed by Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa, where 24 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively, of women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married in childhood.

In Tanzania, the data on Child Marriage among other types of violence is worrying. Child marriage in Tanzania stands at 39% (TDHS[1], 2010). Related data indicate that overall, 27% of adolescent women age 15-19 are already mothers or are pregnant with their first child (TDHS, 2015-16).

While child marriage is common in Tanzania, prevalence is highest in Shinyanga (59 percent), followed by Tabora (58 percent), Mara (55 percent), Dodoma (51 percent), Lindi (48 percent), Mbeya (45 percent), Morogoro (42 percent), Singida (42 percent), Rukwa (40 percent), Ruvuma (39 percent), Mwanza (37 percent), Kagera (36 percent), Mtwara (35 percent), Manyara (34 percent), Pwani (33 percent), Tanga (29 percent), Arusha (27 percent), Kilimanjaro (27 percent), Kigoma (26 percent), Dar es Salaam (19 percent) and Iringa (8 percent).

Our Campaign in Tanzania

World Vision believes that children deserve better. They deserve to grow up happy, healthy, educated, loved and protected. They need safe environments to benefit from the opportunities in education, health, nutrition and livelihoods that we in World Vision are working to provide them with. World vison stands ready to work alongside partners and stakeholders at all levels in this mission towards ending Child Marriage in Tanzania.

“We are touched by the work and initiatives that are already being undertaken by the government of Tanzania and other stakeholders in addressing child marriage and all other forms of violence against children. It is my hope that through this workshop, we will be able to refresh, reorganize ourselves, share our experiences and challenges so that we may come up with strategic and effective mechanisms to continue this journey. As stakeholders, I believe we need to deepen our advocacy for policy reforms, reinforce our efforts in awareness creation and mindset change in our renewed vigour of addressing child marriage in Tanzania” Tim Andrews, National Director, World Vision Tanzania

Further information

For further information, please contact:

Melkizedeck Karol, Communications Manager, World Vision Tanzania

Email Address: melkizedeck_karol@wvi.org

Mobile Number: +255 716 903 770