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Protecting the Girl Child or Upholding Patriarchy? A Case Study of Child Marriage in the Cultural and Legal Context of Tanzania

Blomqvist, Gabriella LU and Backlund, Helen LU (2014) MIDM19 20141
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
This is a case study of child marriage in Tanzania aiming to explore how failures to implement laws prohibiting child marriage can be understood in the Tanzanian context. The study is of a qualitative nature and primarily based on interviews with development actors, working on community and national level with the issue of gender based violence and child marriage. A theoretical framework combining social constructions of gender, notions of childhood, and a rights-based approach was applied when reviewing failures of transforming international and regional human rights agreements into domestic law. Results show how gender inequalities and conceptualisations of childhood continuously are reproduced through bottom-up -and top-down processes... (More)
This is a case study of child marriage in Tanzania aiming to explore how failures to implement laws prohibiting child marriage can be understood in the Tanzanian context. The study is of a qualitative nature and primarily based on interviews with development actors, working on community and national level with the issue of gender based violence and child marriage. A theoretical framework combining social constructions of gender, notions of childhood, and a rights-based approach was applied when reviewing failures of transforming international and regional human rights agreements into domestic law. Results show how gender inequalities and conceptualisations of childhood continuously are reproduced through bottom-up -and top-down processes alike. These further play a crucial role in explaining the government lethargy of changing the age of marriage to eighteen for girls despite being signatory to relevant international and regional conventions. The paper argues for the need to expand opportunities of rights-holders to participate at local levels in order to influence national laws and institutions to live up to signed international human rights conventions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Blomqvist, Gabriella LU and Backlund, Helen LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20141
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
children’s sexuality, patriarchy, human rights, notions of childhood, social constructions of gender, girls, girl child, Tanzania, child marriage, law enactment, access to justice, participation, accountability mechanisms
language
English
id
4446589
date added to LUP
2014-08-06 11:10:59
date last changed
2014-08-06 11:10:59
@misc{4446589,
  abstract     = {{This is a case study of child marriage in Tanzania aiming to explore how failures to implement laws prohibiting child marriage can be understood in the Tanzanian context. The study is of a qualitative nature and primarily based on interviews with development actors, working on community and national level with the issue of gender based violence and child marriage. A theoretical framework combining social constructions of gender, notions of childhood, and a rights-based approach was applied when reviewing failures of transforming international and regional human rights agreements into domestic law. Results show how gender inequalities and conceptualisations of childhood continuously are reproduced through bottom-up -and top-down processes alike. These further play a crucial role in explaining the government lethargy of changing the age of marriage to eighteen for girls despite being signatory to relevant international and regional conventions. The paper argues for the need to expand opportunities of rights-holders to participate at local levels in order to influence national laws and institutions to live up to signed international human rights conventions.}},
  author       = {{Blomqvist, Gabriella and Backlund, Helen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Protecting the Girl Child or Upholding Patriarchy? A Case Study of Child Marriage in the Cultural and Legal Context of Tanzania}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}