DAR ES SALAAM, May 12 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has reaffirmed the Tanzanian government’s commitment to investing in key sectors that promote women’s dignity, equality and empowerment, with a strong focus on healthcare, education, economic inclusion and moral values.
The president made the remarks in a statement posted on her official X (formerly Twitter) account as Tanzania joined the world in marking International Mother’s Day.
“Sunday is International Mother’s Day, a special day to recognise, honour and appreciate our mothers for their immense contribution to the well-being of families, communities and our nation at large,” Samia posted.
“With heartfelt gratitude, I congratulate all mothers for the vital role they play in raising children and shaping future leaders.”
She outlined the government’s achievements and ongoing efforts in areas such as maternal and child health, girls’ education and economic and political empowerment of women.
“We continue to invest in these areas to safeguard women’s dignity and ensure equal access to opportunities,” she added.
Under President Samia’s leadership since 2021, Tanzania has made significant strides in curbing maternal, newborn and child health.
Her work was globally recognised recently when she became the first African leader to receive the Global Goalkeeper Award from the Gates Foundation for reducing maternal and child mortality and improving nutrition.
“When I assumed office, I pledged not only to invest in health infrastructure and human resources but to prioritise maternal and child health,” she said at the award ceremony in Dar es Salaam.
Key outcomes of this commitment include: a reduction in under-five mortality from 63 to 43 per 1,000 live births, a rise in the number of obstetricians and gynaecologists from 69 in 2020 to 338 in 2024, distribution of 727 ambulances to strengthen emergency obstetric care and expansion of ultrasound equipment from 345 to 970 machines over the same period.
The government also introduced the M-mama initiative, a partnership with Vodafone Foundation, which supports emergency maternal and newborn transport services in remote areas.
In education, President Samia has overseen transformative reforms, including the reversal of the ban on teen mothers returning to school.
The revised policy, implemented in November 2021, allows girls who became pregnant or dropped out due to family challenges to resume their education.
To eliminate financial barriers, her administration extended fee-free education to Form Five and Form Six students from the 2022/23 academic year.
These changes fall under the National Girls’ Education Initiative, aimed at expanding access and improving gender equity in schooling.
President Samia also reaffirmed Tanzania’s international leadership role in promoting economic justice and gender equality.
Speaking during International Women’s Day celebrations in Arusha in March 8th this year, President Samia noted that Tanzania is at the forefront of global efforts to close the gender gap.
Domestically, her administration is supporting 75 economic empowerment programmes, including 63 governmentled initiatives and 12 from the private sector, offering loans exceeding 3 trillion Tanzanian shillings for income-generating projects. Women have received about 1.7 trillion shillings, or 49 per cent, of this funding.
In a landmark move, the government also reformed public procurement laws, mandating that at least 30 per cent of all public tenders be allocated to special groups, including women, youth and people with disabilities.
President Samia called for legal and policy reforms, especially in advancing women’s land ownership rights, which she described as critical to building a gender-equal society.
“In a truly equal society, both men and women must have the right to own land,” she said.
President Samia’s message on Mother’s Day underscored her administration’s broader vision for inclusive development, where women are fully empowered and equally represented in all aspects of national life. — NNN-DAILYNEWS