September 21, (THEWILL) – Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu has confirmed that she intended to vie again for the topmost office in 2025 and become the country’s first elected female President if she won.
Speaking at an occasion to mark the International Day of Democracy in Dar-es-Salaam, Samia said her own elevation to the top job was thanks to “the grace of God” and constitutional requirements.
“This President (her) is leading because of God’s wish and constitutional requirements,” she said.
She urged Tanzanian women to join forces to ensure a woman candidate wins the vote outright in the next presidential election.
“We have favoured men to become presidents for far too long. God has given us this special opportunity… if we don’t grab it with both hands it will become like a curse upon us (women),” she said.
She also reiterated her pledge to appoint more women to positions of leadership as a way of bridging the gender gap.
Samia’s remarks came on the back of her first significant cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, which saw the appointment of two more women among four new ministerial appointments.
Stergomena Tax became the country’s first woman Defence Minister after an eight-year stint as Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Ashatu Kijaji was named as Information Minister, taking the number of female ministers running key dockets to seven in a 23-strong cabinet (just under 30 percent).
Women now also account for 46 percent of regional administrative secretaries, 43 percent of judges, and 44 percent of district commissioners.
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