Gender disparities exist since antiquity.
There has been inequality based solely on gender in
various aspects of life usually in favour of men. Such
inequalities are evident in employment, earning,
education, leadership, land ownership, language use,
religion, health rights and decision making. Tanzania
like any other countries has incorporated gender in
various legal instruments, policies, institutions and
various strategies that have been employed to replicate
gender gap in the country.
It has been noted that life has been stratified by
system of oppression and privileges. Throughout history
women have been confined to uninvisible, unpaid and
undervalued work. 1Accordingly, we cannot eliminate
gender disparities unless the community is convinced
and ready to embrace new practices. Furthermore, it
has been observed that Tanzania has undergone major
legal reforms to mitigate gender disparities. The Land
legal regime provide for women safeguard, though such
right cannot be realized as patriarchal practices places
women to a disadvantaged position, besides, inheritance
and marriage laws are still weak and discriminate
against women thus, diversely affect their land rights. It
is recommended that ‘will’ writing practices and
willingness of the court to honor and enforce the law
may mitigate the problem since reform on inheritance
law has been proved ineffective.
Therefore, this article discusses the patterns of
disparities in the legal framework concerning women
vis-a vis its practices blatantly inconsistent with the
principles of equality and non-discrimination and the
spirit of the constitution and international conventions
which Tanzania signed without reservation.