Speaker Zungu stresses inclusive parliament

ARUSHA: SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Mr Mussa Zungu, has stressed the need for inclusive parliaments that give women equal opportunities to participate in political life, leadership and decision-making.

Mr Zungu said empowering women to participate fully and equally in political affairs will strengthen democratic institutions and contribute to more representative and responsive governance.

He made the remarks in his welcoming address at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Forum of Women Parliamentarians held in Arusha yesterday, where he called for practical action to remove barriers limiting women’s participation and influence in parliamentary processes.

He said although progress in increasing women’s representation in parliaments was encouraging, representation alone was not sufficient to achieve meaningful gender equality.

“These discussions should help us move from commitments to practical action. As we meet here in Tanzania, let us reaffirm that inclusive parliaments are stronger parliaments,” Mr Zungu said.

He noted that women’s representation in Tanzania’s Parliament stood at 39.5 per cent, but urged continued efforts to address barriers affecting women’s effective participation, leadership and influence in political and parliamentary processes.

Mr Zungu said the forum provided an important platform for parliamentarians from different countries to exchange experiences and discuss measures to advance women’s participation in decision-making.

He encouraged participants to use the gathering to share experiences openly, build partnerships and identify concrete actions that could be implemented in their respective parliaments and countries.

He said good governance could not be achieved through exclusion, while communities could not be fully empowered if half of their population was left behind.

“By breaking down structural barriers and ensuring women have equal access to decision-making, we build institutional trust and unlock the shared opportunities necessary to shape a more just and inclusive world,” he said.

Mr Zungu said the theme of the 153rd IPU Assembly, “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all,” underscored the importance of ensuring that women were fully represented and empowered to contribute to decision-making at every level.

He emphasised that good governance required equal participation of women, saying their involvement strengthened democracy and contributed to more responsive policies.

“On behalf of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Parliament of Tanzania, I express our sincere appreciation for your continued commitment to advancing the meaningful participation and leadership of women in parliamentary and public affairs,” he said.

Mr Zungu said Tanzania was committed to supporting efforts aimed at promoting women’s participation and leadership in political and public affairs.

The Forum of Women Parliamentarians has for four decades provided women MPs with a global platform to contribute to international parliamentary decision-making.

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The forum meets during every IPU Assembly and leads political efforts to address gender imbalances in national parliaments, IPU bodies and assemblies.

It also promotes democracy through action on gender parity and ensures that a gender perspective is incorporated into decisions adopted by IPU members.