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No way out : child marriage and human rights abuses in Tanzania

Four out of every 10 girls in Tanzania marry before they reach age 18. Some are as young as 7. Child marriage in Tanzania is driven by poverty and the payment of dowry, child labor, adolescent pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, as well as limited access to education and employment opportunities for women and girls. No Way Out: Child Marriage and Human Rights Abuses in Tanzania, is based on in-depth interviews with 135 girls and women in Tanzania. The report documents the detrimental impact of child marriage including the impact on girls' education, the increased exposure to sexual and reproductive health risks, and domestic violence by husbands and extended family members. It also shows how child labor and female genital mutilation are pathways to child marriage. Tanzania lacks a uniform minimum marriage age of 18 for both boys and girls. Gaps in the child protection system, the lack of protection for victims of child marriage, and the many obstacles girls and women face in obtaining redress compel them to endure the devastating and long-lasting consequences of child marriage. Human Rights Watch calls on the Tanzanian government to enact legislation setting 18 as a minimum marriage age and to take immediate measures to protect girls and women from child marriage and other forms of violence to ensure the fulfillment of their human rights, in accordance with Tanzania's international legal obligations. -- back cover.

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