In mainland Tanzania, there are two acts that govern marriage and family matters, the Law of Marriage Act, 1971 and the Affiliation Act, 1949. certain provisions of these Acts are discriminatory either in themselves or in their effect. Marriage in Tanzania is governed by the Law of Marriage Act and religious customary law. The Law of Marriage Act provides that a marriage can be monogamous or polygamous where in a polygamous union, a man may be married to more than one woman. However, a woman is prohibited from being married to more than one man at a time. While polygamy is a part of the culture of Tanzania, it is a practice that supports the perception that women are subservient and that a man entitled to the benefit of more than one wife.

The LHRC is in agreement with the recommendation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women that polygamy should be eliminated in Tanzania. The other issue arising in relation to marriage is the difference in the legal age of marriage for men and women. The Law of Marriage Act provides that a man cannot be married before attaining the age of 18, while a woman cannot be married before the age of 15 years. A reading of the Penal Code suggests that a woman can actually be married before they reach the age of 15 years.

In 2008, the Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children, Margaret Sitta made it clear that laws that undermine the rights of women and children should be wiped out as a matter of priority. MPs were also called upon to play a role in amending outdated laws that do not reflect the needs and demands of contemporary society, such as the Law of Marriage Act and the Affiliation Act. However, there have been plans to amend various discriminatory laws, such as the two laws discussed above, for approximately the past 15 years with no result.