Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been hailed as a global model of women’s leadership, with the Inter-Parliamentary Union calling for greater representation of women in political decision-making.
The recognition was made by Cynthia Lopez, President of the Women Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), during the union’s 153rd Assembly being held in Arusha, Tanzania.
Lopez praised President Hassan’s leadership as an example of the contribution women can make when given opportunities to occupy positions of influence.
She, however, cautioned that increasing the number of women in parliaments alone is not sufficient to achieve meaningful gender equality in political leadership.
According to Lopez, women parliamentarians must also be given opportunities to chair committees, take up senior parliamentary positions and participate meaningfully in decisions that shape national policy.
She emphasised that women’s representation should translate into real influence within legislative institutions rather than simply meeting numerical targets.
The remarks come as parliamentarians from across the world gather in Arusha for the IPU Assembly, which brings together lawmakers to discuss global political, social and development challenges.
President Hassan, Tanzania’s first female president, has increasingly been presented as an example of women’s advancement in political leadership in Africa.
The IPU’s position places renewed focus on the need for political institutions to move beyond representation and create pathways for women to exercise leadership and influence at the highest levels.