Regions  ▸  Africa  ▸  Tanzania

LGBT Rights in Ruvuma Region

Ruvuma is governed by federal Tanzania law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✖ State-enforced
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Restricted
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    ✖ Illegal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Ruvuma

?

Homosexual activity in Ruvuma is illegal (up to life in prison as punishment).

Current status
Since Jul 1, 1998
Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act (1998) amended Section 154 of the Code to aggravate the penalty for "carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, raising it to "imprisonment for life and in any case to imprisonment for a term of not less than 30 years".
Details
Sources:
refworld.org/docid/3ae6b5098.html
hsph.harvard.edu/population…
sgdatabase.unwomen.org/uplo…
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Jan 1, 1930–Jul 1, 1998
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Section 154 of the Penal Code of Tanzania (1930) punished “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” with imprisonment for up to 14 years. Section 155 made attempting to commit such acts punishable by 7 years in prison.
Details
Sources:
un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIO…
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Same-sex marriage in Ruvuma

?

Same-sex marriage in Ruvuma is banned.

Current status
Since Feb 12, 1971
Banned
Article 9(1) in The Law of Marriage Act defines marriage as a voluntary union of a man and a woman.
Details
Sources:
rita.go.tz/eng/laws/History…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Ruvuma

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Ruvuma is state-enforced.

Current status
State-enforced
Tanzania has a history of enforcing strict laws against the LGBT community. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal and can be punished by imprisonment. The government has also taken steps to restrict LGBT rights organizations and their activities. Public attitudes towards the LGBT community in Tanzania can be quite hostile, which contributes to a challenging environment for individuals who identify as LGBT. It's important to stay informed about the current situation and exercise caution when discussing or engaging in LGBT-related issues in Tanzania.
Details
Sources:
76crimes.com/2022/09/13/tan…
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Right to change legal gender in Ruvuma

?

Right to change legal gender in Ruvuma is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
No laws in place. Tanzania does not recognize transgender people.
Details
Sources:
nationalgeographic.com/maga…
cdn.sida.se/app/uploads/202…
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Gender-affirming care in Ruvuma

?

Gender-affirming care in Ruvuma is restricted.

Current status
Since 1994
Restricted
In 1994, Tanzania legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
Details
Sources:
rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_r…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ruvuma

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ruvuma is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
As Tanzania does not recognize gender changes, non-binary self-identification is defacto not recognized.
Details
Sources:
cdn.sida.se/app/uploads/202…
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LGBT discrimination in Ruvuma

?

LGBT discrimination in Ruvuma is no protections.

Current status
Since Apr 26, 1977
No protections
Homosexuality is illegal hence by default there are no discrimination protection extended to LGBTQ+ community.
Details
Sources:
judiciary.go.tz/downloads/c…
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LGBT employment discrimination in Ruvuma

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LGBT employment discrimination in Ruvuma is no protections.

Current status
Since Apr 26, 1977
No protections
Details
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LGBT housing discrimination in Ruvuma

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Ruvuma is no protections.

Current status
Since Apr 26, 1977
No protections
Details
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Same-sex adoption in Ruvuma

?

Same-sex adoption in Ruvuma is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
You have to be married to adopt, and same-sex marriage is illegal.
Details
Sources:
rita.go.tz/eng/laws/History…
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Intersex infant surgery in Ruvuma

?

Intersex infant surgery in Ruvuma is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Ruvuma

?

Serving openly in military in Ruvuma is illegal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1998
Illegal
Homosexuality is currently illegal in Tanzania
Details
Sources:
refworld.org/docid/3ae6b5098.html

hsph.harvard.edu/population…

sgdatabase.unwomen.org/uplo…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Ruvuma

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Blood donations by MSMs in Ruvuma is legal.

Current status
Legal
No laws specifically forbid men who have sex with men to give blood in Tanzania.
Details
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Conversion therapy in Ruvuma

?

Conversion therapy in Ruvuma is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/tanzania-lgbti
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Ruvuma

?

Equal age of consent in Ruvuma is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania.
Details
Report error  ·  Log
Equality Index ?
11 / 100
Legal Rights
8 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Ruvuma to help improve its accuracy.
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Ruvuma LGBT Organizations

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  • Is it illegal to be gay in Ruvuma?
  • Is homosexuality legal in Ruvuma?
  • Is gay marriage legal in Ruvuma?

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