Implementation of the Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) in Tanzania, 2005–2011: A Critical Review

This paper presents a critical review of the implementation of three selected articles of the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC): Article 1 which defines of who is a child; Article 28 which stipulates the child’s rights to basic education; and Article 32, which calls on governments to protect the child from labour. Its analysis draws on the Tanzania 3rd, 4th, and 5th combined CRC implementation report, the CSO’s CRC implementation alternative report, and the CRC Committee’s observations. The findings suggest that, although there have been remarkable commitment and promising progress in making children’s rights a reality for Tanzanian children, there were still some challenges and dilemmas that emerged during their implementation. Thus, the study recommends for the harmonisation of the understanding of who is a child in addition to main-streaming work as an integral part of children’s childhood life.