Mwinyi pledges stronger UN Women ties
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has said the government will continue to strengthen its partnership with UN Women to advance gender equality, expand women’s economic empowerment and eliminate violence against women and girls.
Dr Mwinyi made the commitment on Wednesday at State House in Zanzibar, when he met the newly appointed UN Women Representative to Tanzania, Ms Julia Broussard, who paid a courtesy call after assuming office.
The president said Zanzibar values its longstanding partnership with UN Women, noting that it has played a key role in strengthening women’s economic participation and addressing challenges facing women and girls, particularly in rural communities.
He said the government is keen to deepen the collaboration, especially in the seaweed industry, which provides livelihoods for thousands of women.
According to Dr Mwinyi, increasing seaweed production, processing and value addition will raise farmers’ income, create jobs, expand market opportunities and enable women to earn greater returns from the sector.
“Adding value to seaweed will transform livelihoods and open new opportunities for women across Zanzibar,” he said.
The president also underscored the need to intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence, saying women must be protected from abuse and discrimination to participate fully in social and economic development.
He reaffirmed the government’s readiness to work closely with UN Women to strengthen prevention programmes, community awareness campaigns, survivor support services and institutional systems for addressing violence against women and girls.
On gender data, Dr Mwinyi said reliable statistics are essential for identifying challenges facing women and guiding evidence-based policy decisions.
He noted that, following data collection by the Office of the Chief Government Statistician, greater emphasis should be placed on analysing and using the information to plan development programmes, make informed decisions and assess the impact of interventions.
The president also reiterated Zanzibar’s commitment to promoting women’s leadership and participation in decision-making, noting that several women have been appointed to senior government positions, including the Chief Secretary, who also serves as Secretary to the Revolutionary Council.
Ms Broussard commended Dr Mwinyi for his leadership in advancing gender equality and increasing women’s representation in leadership.
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She said Zanzibar has demonstrated strong political commitment to gender equality and praised the appointment of women to senior government positions.
She outlined UN Women’s priority areas in Zanzibar as women’s economic empowerment, strengthening the seaweed sector, preventing violence against women and girls, improving gender data and promoting genderresponsive budgeting.
Ms Broussard stressed that women’s economic empowerment must go hand in hand with ensuring their safety and freedom from violence.
She pledged UN Women’s continued support for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar in implementing programmes that improve the lives of women and girls while promoting inclusive and equitable development
