Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Cosato Chumi, has reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering women, during a high-level meeting with the UN Women Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ms. Anna Mutavati.
Ms. Mutavati is on a working visit to Tanzania from August 18–20, 2025. The meeting, held at the Ministry’s offices in Dar es Salaam, focused on strengthening collaboration between Tanzania and UN Women in advancing the global gender equality agenda.
Discussions centered on Tanzania’s priorities in the Generation Equality initiative, the Beijing +30 Action Agenda, and preparations for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where gender equality will be a key issue.
Chumi highlighted the Government’s continued efforts to promote gender equity through key policies and reforms, including the 2023 National Gender Equality and Women’s Development Policy, legal reforms to address gender-based violence, and inclusive national strategies aimed at uplifting women socially and economically.
“Tanzania remains fully committed to implementing regional and international agreements on women’s rights and gender equality,” he said, citing instruments such as CEDAW, the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women, the SADC Gender Protocol, Agenda 2063, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
He emphasized the importance of Tanzania’s partnership with UN Women in ensuring women’s full participation in leadership, economic development, peacebuilding, and the fight against gender-based violence.
Ms. Mutavati commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership in championing gender equality and creating opportunities for women’s economic and political empowerment.
She noted that UN Women is working closely with Tanzania through initiatives such as Wanawake Wanaweza, the Women’s Leadership and Economic Rights (WLER) program, the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC), and the African Girls Can Code (Binti Dijitali) initiative. These efforts aim to enhance women’s access to economic opportunities, leadership, and digital skills.
UN Women also supports the implementation of the National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (TNAP-WPS), which Tanzania will officially launch later this month.
Ms. Mutavati further reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting Tanzania in areas such as gender-responsive budgeting, strengthening gender data systems, and eliminating violence against women and girls particularly in rural areas, Zanzibar, Pemba, and the mainland.
Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in promoting gender equality, increasing investment in women’s economic empowerment, and ensuring that no group is left behind including women with disabilities, women with albinism, pastoralist women, and women living with HIV.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to position Tanzania as a regional and global leader in advancing women’s rights, peace, and sustainable development.
Ms. Mutavati was accompanied by senior technical experts from the UN Women Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa.
