Generally the study aimed to examine the factors which contributed to low performance in Adult Education Literacy Programmes (AELPs) among women in Morogoro Rural District. The specific objectives of the study were; (i) to find out whether formal education prior to joining literacy programmes influenced women’s performance in literacy programmes; (ii) to Examine, whether the literacy programmes were relevant to women’s socio-economic pursuits; (iii) to Investigate the community attitudes towards women’s participation in literacy programmes; (iv) to find out activities performed by female literacy participants; (v) to examine the factors influencing women performance in literacy programmes. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected using survey, key informants and observation methods supported by interview schedules, questionnaire schedules and observing as main tools of data collection. Descriptive statistics, cross tabulation, Likert scale and logistic regression model were used as tools of data analysis. Purposive sampling of the study area was done and key informants used to give some data. The study involved 198 respondents; 120 female literacy learners, 24 literacy teachers, 12 hamlet leaders, 12 adult education officers/coordinators and 30 husbands of the women participants in AELPs. Study findings revealed that women performance in AELPs was affected by lack of formal education prior to join AELPs, extreme overloading of day to day activities for women, negative community attitudes towards women education, increase in age, family size and marriage in Morogoro rural district. The study recommends on the need to review and modify the curriculum so that the programmes made more responsive to women’s aspirations, needs and interests.