Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as Tanzania’s President making history as the first woman to hold office in the East African nation.
As Tanzania’s sixth leader since declaring independence from Britain in 1960, she is the first female and third Muslim to lead the country.
Taking the oath of office following the death of Covid-sceptic President John Magufuli, Hassan becomes the ninth woman to ever lead a state in Africa and is now Africa’s only current female national leader. Sahle-Work Zewde is acting President of Ethiopia, though her role is entirely ceremonial.
Unlike Zewde, Hassan will have the chance to make real change in Tanzania. The most immediate task she faces is uniting the country following five divisive years under her covid-denying, authoritarian predecessor Magufuli.
The country’s former leader consistently resisted imposing national lockdown and dismissed other measures including social distancing and the closure of shops and hospitality. Magufuli also denied the effectiveness of testing and refused to obtain vaccines, instead of making outlandish claims that inhaling steam and eating potatoes could cure Coronavirus.
Although Hassan is likely to move away from her predecessor’s Covid sceptic stance, where this places her on other areas of policy is still largely unclear. Whilst Magufuli’s presidency saw assassination attempts on opposition leaders, restricted access to television and radio stations, and internet and social media censorship, Human Rights Watch say under Hassan’s leadership Tanzania has a real chance to repair and strengthen its democracy and reverse the country’s “downward human rights trajectory”.
Upon assuming her new role, Hasan called for the country to unite following Magufuli’s death. Addressing the nation on Thursday she said, “this is a time to bury our differences and be one as a nation” and that “this is not a time for finger-pointing, but it is a time to hold hands and move forward together” in a possible nod to her predecessors divisive and “bulldozer” style leadership.
In contrast to Magufuli, Hassan’s calm demeanour, prudent approach to leadership and belief in judicious authority is likely to bring a new tone to Tanzanian politics in the coming months. Tanzanian MP January Makamba said it was her “decision-making and temperament” which would make Hassan a capable leader for the country.
However, whilst widely respected in political circles, Hassan lacks a real political base of her own and must gain the full support of the majority CCM party if she is to insight real change as President.
The expectations are huge for Hassan’s presidency and she will undoubtedly encounter obstacles. As a Muslim woman, she will likely face opposition given the heavily male-dominated and entrenched Christian political landscape in the country.
Hassan is a known advocate for women’s issues in Tanzania, and her track record includes overturning a ban on young mothers returning to school after giving birth in 2005. She has spoken publicly to encourage Tanzanian women and girls to pursue their ambitions and has never shied away from being a strong female voice when faced with some of the more outspoken male members of parliament.
Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi said of Hassan’s swearing-in “the ceremony itself has been very symbolic, not only for Tanzanians but for many women and young girls around the world”.
Whether Hassan’s presidency will usher in a new age of politics in the region remains to be seen. Nevertheless, her historic assumption of the highest office in the country is a huge step for women in African and indeed global politics.
Grace Boulter
Featured image courtesy of Gospel Kitaa via Flickr. This image has in no way been altered. Image license found here.