Includes bibliographical references (pages 165-177) and index.

Introduction : Gender, justice and the problem of culture -- Creating "law" : colonial rule, native courts, and the codification of customary law -- Debating marriage : national law and the culture of postcolonial rule -- Criminalizing culture : human rights, NGOs, and the politics of anti-FGM [female genital mutilation] campaigns -- Demanding justice : collective action, moral authority, and female forms of power -- Conclusion : Gender justice, collective action, and the limits of legal interventions.

"When, where, why, and by whom is law used to force desired social change in the name of justice? Why has culture come to be seen as inherently oppressive to women? In this finely crafted book, [the author] examines the history of legal ideas and institutions in Tanzania - from customary law to human rights - as specific forms of justice that often reflect elite ideas about gender, culture, and social change. Drawing on evidence from Maasai communities, she explores how the legacies of colonial law-making continue to influence contemporary efforts to create laws, codify marriage, criminalize FGM, and contest land grabs by state officials. Despite the easy dismissal by elites of the priorities and perspectives of grassroots women, she shows how Maasai women have always had powerful ways to confront and challenge injustice, express their priorities, and reveal the limits of rights-based legal ideals."--