A Tanzanian presents a thesis on child marriage at the White House

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

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

Also present was the director of Georgetown Law Center’s Women’s Fellowship Program in Law and Public Policy, Professor Jill Morrison.

Ms. Chikoti was chosen to present her report at the White House along with four other fellows. She had the opportunity to present her findings to US government advisors on international development, where she states that for a country to achieve sustainable development, the practice of child marriage must be abolished.

“The Special Assistant to the President invited us to learn in depth about the issues we were investigating because the issue of child marriage is one of his priorities,” he said. The citizen Via WhatsApp on Tuesday.

According to her, in 2023 she received a prestigious Global Health Law scholarship that allowed 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 Women’s Leadership and Advocacy in Africa program, which began in 1993 at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington.

She said she is dedicated to women’s human rights, which leads her to exhaustively research the issue of child marriages. She delved into the matter, looking for solutions to push for the amendment of the marriage law in Tanzania.

“The alarming cases of maternal mortality, which are closely linked to early marriage of teenage girls, demand amendments to the existing law,” said Ms Chikoti.

In the report, she said millions of girls are being 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 Equality Now report, Tanzania has the highest number of child brides in East Africa. In Tanzania, teenage pregnancies and child marriage are strongly linked.

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

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

Tanzania has witnessed a worrying rise in teenage pregnancies and mortality rates, often with teenage girls as victims. Many girls’ lives are tragically cut short due to a range of complications, including pre-eclampsia and infections.

Teenage mothers often live in poverty-stricken rural areas. Unfortunately, these girls lack access to healthy foods, greatly compromising their overall health and ability to combat pregnancy complications. Furthermore, social pressures and limited healthcare facilities led many of these girls to give birth at home.

Chikoti said that while Tanzania has received recognition for its efforts to reduce maternal mortality, it is crucial to recognize that the highest rates are among adolescents, who marry and start families at a young age.