Factors Influencing Marital Dissolution among Poor Muslim Households in Lindi and Mtwara Regions

This paper examines the factors that influence marital breakdown among low-income Muslim households in the south-eastern Tanzania regions of Lindi and Mtwara. Using a documentary and comprehensive analytical approach, the paper synthesises government statistics, regional studies, media reports, and peer-reviewed literature to identify the socio-economic, cultural, interpersonal, and institutional factors that influence divorce. The main causes are economic deprivation, spousal migration and work-related mobility, alcohol and drug abuse, infidelity, poor communication, early and forced marriage, gender norms and pressures within the family, and lack of access to marriage counselling and legal advice. The analysis highlights regional dynamics such as higher divorce rates in Kenya and Mtwara, the interplay between poverty and marital stress, and the role of religious and traditional dispute resolution institutions in shaping the outcome of the conflict. The report concludes that multi-sectoral interventions - poverty alleviation, education and life skills programmes, access to legal and counselling services, and community-led campaigns to tackle harmful gender norms - are needed to reduce the rate of marital breakdown in vulnerable Muslim households. The recommendations focus on culturally sensitive programming, involving mosque leaders and local councils, strengthening social protection, and increasing access to psychosocial services for couples. The limitations of documentary analysis are noted, and orientations to primary empirical research are proposed to confirm and deepen the understanding of the subject matter of the paper.