The Girl Child in Tanzania: Today's Girl Tomorrow's Woman

THIS REPORT IS based on participatory research in 21 villages in seven regions of mainland Tanzania, chosen to represent a wide range of ethnic groups, religions and social and economic systems. The report describes discriminatory practices against girl children in areas such as education, nutrition, chores, leisure activities and traditional cultural practices. The report makes practical recommendations for action, from household to national level, to promote the development and progress of girl children and women in Tanzania.

The first four chapters of the report correspond to the stages in a child’s development. Chapter 1 discusses factors that affect the development of the child in the womb and its subsequent birth, such as the mother’s health and age, the importance of having children and the preference for boy children. The rituals which surround the birth and family planning methods are also discussed. Chapter 2, on infancy, looks at issues affecting the nutrition of babies, such as breastfeeding and gender differences in food, and health-related issues. Early socialization and the division of child care labour are also discussed. Chapter 3 examines the age range from 5 to 12 with the main focus being on gender divisions in education both at home and at school. Chapter 4 concentrates upon the adolescence of girl children, discussing the transition to puberty and issues such as female genital mutilation, early marriage, premarital pregnancy, sexual health and the varying responses of communities. Issues of employment and educational opportunities for girls after primary school, access to leisure activities and the role of marriage in their lives are also explored.

The final chapter of the report highlights critical issues uncovered by the research and recommends how they can be addressed. The danger of hasty and inappropriate recommendations is emphasized and the economic, political and cultural factors which condition any response are examined. Priority areas and recommendations are outlined for pre-natal and post-natal stages, in the socialization and upbringing of children, on the role the father should play and on the division of labour in the home. In the area of education, recommendations include the raising of public investment, especially at the primary level, a review of curricula and the banning of child labour for teachers. Other priority areas are identified as sexuality, rituals of initiation, violence against girls and marriage.

Finally, recommendations for increasing opportunities for young people are made, as are suggestions for monitoring leisure activities, empowering village governments, community organization and the participation of girl children, and for promoting the cause of orphans.