Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi becomes the first African leader to join the HeForShe Alliance, with the UN Women declaring him Tanzania’s national champion for gender equality.
Accepting the honour, President Mwinyi reaffirmed his firm commitment to advance women and girls’ rights in Zanzibar and Tanzania in general.
He asked the Speakers of the House of Representatives and Parliament Zubeir Ali Maulid and Job Ndugai, respectively, to advocate gender issues in their respective houses and push for legal reforms to get rid of legislations that inhibit gender equality in the country.
Both Mr Maulid and Ndugai attended the ceremony and pledged to support the gender equality movements to accelerate social and economic development in the country. Dr Mwinyi described him rights, insisting that gender equality is inevitable for the country’s social and economic prosperity. He said according to the last population census, Zanzibar had more women than men.
“Gender equality is inevitable in Zanzibar where women outnumber men; we will never achieve real and sustainable development by discriminating against the majority members of the population,” President Mwinyi said at the ceremony to declare him the champion. He said during his one-year presidency he has provided more opportunities to women based on qualification and competence.
“I focus more on qualification and competence; that is why I have appointed many women in various managerial positions—and they haven’t so far disappointed me,” he said, adding: “And, if the truth be told, they have outperformed their male counterparts.” President Mwinyi appreciated the UN Women work for the social and economic prosperity of women in Zanzibar, saying the impact of the UN agency in advancing the plight of women is visible in the islands.
He directed the ministry of health, social welfare, elders, gender and children as well as all government institutions to work closely with the UN agency for the welfare of women and girls.
UN Women Country Representative Hodan Addou described President Mwinyi as the befitting champion with strong track record on advancing women and girl’s rights in Zanzibar, citing the appointment of several women in key leadership and decision-making roles, the government’s prioritisation of women’s economic opportunities and intensified fight against all forms of violence and abuse.
She said the UN agency has for many years been working in Zanzibar to support the government efforts in spearheading women’s rights, adding: “We remain committed to our common goal of bettering the lives of women and girls, and men and boys in Zanzibar, and stand ready to support you, Your Excellency, in all your efforts to this end.” The UN agency’s country head implored more men and boys to join the campaign for gender equality, charging that over 25 years since the adoption of the landmark Beijing Platform for Action, there is still huge task ahead.
“At the current pace, it will take over 100 years for the world to reach gender equality,” she said, arguing that multiple obstacles remain unchanged in law and in culture, persistently degrading women and limiting their choices.
HeForShe campaign is the UN Women spearheaded solidarity movement that invites men and boys to strive for an equal world for all. Launched in 2014, the movement appreciates the fact that realisation of gender equality requires action and allies across all of society, working with men and boys as advocates and agents of change.
UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania Zlatan Milisic said achieving gender equality requires coordinated and sustained efforts from “all of us to challenge and dismantle those social norms and barriers that perpetuate inequalities and discrimination.”
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