Tanzania’s 39.5 pc women representation signals progress, Zungu says

ARUSHA: Speaker of the National Assembly, Mussa Azzan Zungu, has said Tanzania has increased women’s representation in Parliament to 39.5 per cent, describing the progress as encouraging while calling for further action to strengthen women’s participation.

Speaking to the Women Parliamentarians Forum on the sidelines of the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the Arusha International Conference Centre, Zungu said greater representation must be accompanied by efforts to remove barriers affecting women’s participation, leadership and influence in political and parliamentary processes.

“Representation alone is not enough. We must continue addressing barriers that affect women’s participation, leadership and influence in political and parliamentary processes,” Zungu said.

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He also called for greater involvement of women in decision-making processes, stressing that their meaningful participation is essential to building more inclusive institutions.

According to Zungu, inclusive parliaments strengthen democracy by contributing to governance systems that better represent and respond to citizens’ needs.

His remarks align with the theme of the IPU Assembly, Strengthening Good Governance and Empowering Communities through Inclusion, Trust and Opportunities for All, which underscores the importance of ensuring women have meaningful opportunities to participate in decision- making at every level.