Tanzanian presents thesis at White House on child marriages

Dar es Salaam. A Tanzanian student studying in the US, Consolata Chikoti, has presented at the White House her thesis on child marriages.

She presented the report before the Deputy Director and Special Assistant to the President at the White House Gender Policy Council and Special Advisor on Gender at the White House National Security Council, Rachel Vogelstein.

Also present was the Director of the Women in Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program at Georgetown Law Center, Prof Jill Morrison.

Ms Chikoti was chosen to present her report at the White House alongside four other fellows.

She had the opportunity to present her findings to US government advisors on international development, where she asserts that in order for a country to achieve sustainable development, the practice of child marriage must be abolished.

“The Special Assistant to the President invited us to get in-depth information about the issues we were researching because the issue of child marriage is one of their priorities,” she told The Citizen via WhatsApp on Tuesday.

According to her, in 2023, she was awarded a prestigious Global Health Law scholarship that enabled her to pursue a Master’s Degree in National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

Ms Chikoti’s journey in global health law began after she was selected for the Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa program, which was initiated back in 1993 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington.

She said she is dedicated to women’s human rights, which drives her to extensively research the issue of child marriages. She delved deep into the matter, seeking solutions to propel the amendment of the marriage law in Tanzania.

“The alarming cases of maternal mortality, which are intricately linked to the marriage of adolescent girls at a tender age, call for amendments to the existing law,” Ms Chikoti said.

Read: Why mored education is needed to fight forced marriages in Tanzania

In the report, she said that millions of girls are robbed of their childhood and dreams.

In Tanzania, child marriage is influenced by factors such as religion, social norms, and poverty. According to a recent report from Equality Now, Tanzania has the highest number of child brides in East Africa. In Tanzania, teen pregnancies and child marriage are strongly connected.

“Consequently, many of them become pregnant shortly after getting married. Tanzania is one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa with the highest number of adolescent mothers. The matter of teenage pregnancy and child marriage is a complex one,” she said.

A child does not possess the mental or physical capacity to handle the responsibilities that come with marriage and parenthood. These young girls who become pregnant face detrimental health consequences that put them at a higher risk, including the possibility of death.

Tanzania has witnessed a concerning surge in teenage pregnancies and mortality rates, often with adolescent girls as the victims. The lives of many young girls are tragically cut short due to a range of complications, like pre-eclampsia and infections.

The adolescent mothers often reside in poverty-stricken rural areas. Sadly, these girls lack access to healthy meals, which greatly compromises their overall health and ability to combat pregnancy complications. Additionally, societal pressures and limited healthcare facilities led many of these girls to give birth at home.

Ms Chikoti said while Tanzania has received recognition for its efforts in reducing maternal mortality, it is crucial to acknowledge that the highest rates are found among adolescents, who are marrying and starting families at a young age.