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Frontline Work Against Child Marriage - Social Workers' responses to child marriage among girls in Tanzania.

Rudstedt, Fanny LU and Nilsson, Michelle LU (2026) SOPB63 20252
School of Social Work
Abstract
Child marriage remains a persistent challenge in Tanzania despite legal reforms and international commitments. This study aimed to explore how social workers understood the causes of child marriage, how they worked with prevention in practice, what challenges they face, and what conditions they identified as necessary for long-term change. The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with ten social workers in Dar es Salaam, recruited through Girls First Initiative (GFI). The material was analyzed using thematic analysis guided by an empowerment lens and a decolonial feminist perspective. The findings showed that social workers described child marriage as shaped by intersecting structural factors, including economic... (More)
Child marriage remains a persistent challenge in Tanzania despite legal reforms and international commitments. This study aimed to explore how social workers understood the causes of child marriage, how they worked with prevention in practice, what challenges they face, and what conditions they identified as necessary for long-term change. The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with ten social workers in Dar es Salaam, recruited through Girls First Initiative (GFI). The material was analyzed using thematic analysis guided by an empowerment lens and a decolonial feminist perspective. The findings showed that social workers described child marriage as shaped by intersecting structural factors, including economic insecurity, gender norms, limited educational opportunities, and weak legal enforcement. Prevention work mainly relied on dialogue-based and community-oriented strategies such as engaging families, collaboration with local leaders, and supporting girls’ education. However, participants also highlighted major institutional constraints, including limited resources, gaps in protection systems, and legal contradictions that reduced accountability in practice. Long-term prevention was therefore framed as requiring stronger institutional support, sustainable funding, and closer cooperation between NGOs and government actors. The findings showed that prevention largely depends on community-level work and relationship building, especially when the legal framework doesn’t fully protect girls in practice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Rudstedt, Fanny LU and Nilsson, Michelle LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPB63 20252
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
child marriages in Tanzania, front-line work, decolonial, empowerment, social work
language
English
id
9224370
date added to LUP
2026-03-23 17:56:09
date last changed
2026-03-23 17:56:09
@misc{9224370,
  abstract     = {{Child marriage remains a persistent challenge in Tanzania despite legal reforms and international commitments. This study aimed to explore how social workers understood the causes of child marriage, how they worked with prevention in practice, what challenges they face, and what conditions they identified as necessary for long-term change. The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with ten social workers in Dar es Salaam, recruited through Girls First Initiative (GFI). The material was analyzed using thematic analysis guided by an empowerment lens and a decolonial feminist perspective. The findings showed that social workers described child marriage as shaped by intersecting structural factors, including economic insecurity, gender norms, limited educational opportunities, and weak legal enforcement. Prevention work mainly relied on dialogue-based and community-oriented strategies such as engaging families, collaboration with local leaders, and supporting girls’ education. However, participants also highlighted major institutional constraints, including limited resources, gaps in protection systems, and legal contradictions that reduced accountability in practice. Long-term prevention was therefore framed as requiring stronger institutional support, sustainable funding, and closer cooperation between NGOs and government actors. The findings showed that prevention largely depends on community-level work and relationship building, especially when the legal framework doesn’t fully protect girls in practice.}},
  author       = {{Rudstedt, Fanny and Nilsson, Michelle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Frontline Work Against Child Marriage - Social Workers' responses to child marriage among girls in Tanzania.}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}