Mwinyi urges greater women’s participation in upcoming elections

Unguja. The President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to creating opportunities for women at all levels to achieve gender equality, urging them to actively participate in the forthcoming general elections.

Tanzania and Zanzibar Islands will hold elections in October 2025 to vote for leaders in various positions, including the Union President, Zanzibar President, Members of Parliament (MPs), members of the House of Representatives, and councilors.

Speaking during an event marking International Women’s Day, Dr Mwinyi highlighted that the government has been at the forefront of ensuring equal economic opportunities for women through various empowerment policies and programmes.

“The government will continue to prioritise this, with the hope of seeing more women contesting for positions, especially in decision-making bodies,” Dr Mwinyi said on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

The event also saw the launch of economic empowerment platforms for women and the unveiling of a national plan to combat the abuse of women and children in Zanzibar.

Dr Mwinyi underscored that empowering women is about enabling their participation in the economy, freeing them from dependency, and protecting them from abuse.

He pointed out that Zanzibar has 11 districts and five regions, and there is no reason why women should be excluded from these positions, as many women are more than capable of holding them.

However, Dr Mwinyi challenged women to demonstrate excellent performance whenever given opportunities.

The Isles currently have only one female regional commissioner out of five regions and two female district commissioners out of 11 districts.

“Women have been a vital pillar in various areas, so I urge you to compete for these positions. As a government, we will continue to provide various opportunities for leadership and operational roles,” Dr Mwinyi added.

To ensure these goals are met, Dr Mwinyi directed the government to focus on three key areas, including strengthening women’s empowerment platforms from the Shehia level to the regional level.

He called for the establishment of a robust system to oversee these platforms, which would include clearly defining the responsibilities of leaders at each level and developing operational guides to ensure women can effectively utilise the available opportunities.

“To ensure the success of this initiative, I direct the Second Vice President’s Office and the ministry responsible for these platforms, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Economy, and Investment, Regional and Local Government Authorities, and other stakeholders, to create a system that strengthens these platforms,” he instructed.

Speaking on this year’s theme, which focuses on the participation of women and girls as drivers of development, Dr Mwinyi said it aligns with the government’s broader objectives of empowering and supporting all women and children on the island.

Through the Zanzibar Economic Empowerment Agency (ZEEA), Dr Mwinyi reported that 34,746 citizens have benefited, 17,811 of whom are women, accounting for 51.2% of the total beneficiaries.

Regarding loan provision, ZEEA has disbursed Sh34.9 billion, with Sh21 billion equivalent to 60 percent allocated to women.

The custodian of the economic empowerment platforms and the Second Vice President of Zanzibar, Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, stated that the success of these platforms depends on women uniting and working in groups.

The Minister for Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, Ms Riziki Pembe Juma, emphasised that her ministry has been at the forefront, collaborating with both local and international stakeholders to achieve the goals for all women.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ms Abeda Rashid Abdallah, pointed out that while women represent 52 percent of the population, compared to 48 percent for men, according to the 2022 population census, women still lag in political, economic, and social planning.

She emphasised the need for society to prioritise and value women, allowing them to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to development.