ZANZIBAR: The President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Hon. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, said the Government will continue to cooperate closely with UN Women in promoting gender equality, empowering women economically and eradicating acts of cruelty and humiliation against women and girls.
President Dr. Mwinyi said this on July 22, 2026, when he met with the new UN Women Representative in Tanzania, Mrs. Julia Broussard, who arrived at the Zanzibar State House to introduce herself after officially starting her duties
He said the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar appreciates the good cooperation that exists with UN Women, which has contributed to the implementation of various programs to build the capacity of women, promote their participation in economic activities and face the challenges they face, especially rural women and girls.
President Dr. Mwinyi said the Government expects to see the cooperation strengthened further in the seaweed sector, which largely involves women, by increasing the production, comfort and value of the product in Zanzibar.
He has explained, Ms. Julia that increasing the value of seaweed will help increase the income of farmers, open employment opportunities, expand markets and enable women to benefit more from their economic activities.
President Dr. Mwinyi has emphasized the importance of strengthening efforts to prevent and eradicate gender-based violence, explaining that women need to be safe from acts of violence and humiliation so that they can fully participate in economic and social activities.
He said the Government is ready to cooperate with UN Women to strengthen prevention programs, community education, services for victims and systems to deal with acts of violence against women and girls.
Speaking about gender statistics, President Dr. Mwinyi said the availability of accurate statistics is important in identifying the challenges faced by women and enabling the Government to plan policies, programs and budgets that are in line with the real needs of society.
He has explained that after collecting the data through the Office of the Chief Statistician of the Zanzibar Government, the next step should be to ensure that they are analyzed and used properly in planning development plans, making decisions and measuring the results of various programs.
He said that the Government will continue to provide opportunities for women to participate in leadership and decisions, explaining that various women have been appointed to hold high positions in the Government, including the Secretary of the Revolutionary Council who is also the Chief Secretary, a move that shows Zanzibar’s determination to strengthen gender equality in leadership.
On the other hand, Ms. Julia Broussard has congratulated the President Dr. Mwinyi for his leadership and the steps taken by the Government in promoting gender equality and increasing the participation of women in leadership and decision-making positions.
He said that Zanzibar is one of the places that shows great commitment in promoting gender equality, while congratulating the President Dr. Mwinyi for being an example in giving women high leadership positions in the Government.
Mrs. Broussard has mentioned the priority areas of UN Women Zanzibar as the economic empowerment of women, strengthening the seaweed sector, preventing violence against women and girls, the collection and use of gender statistics, as well as developing budgets that focus on gender equality.
He has said that women’s economic empowerment should go hand in hand with ensuring that they are free and safe from violence, since their safety and freedom is the basis for fully participating in development.
Mrs. Broussard has promised that UN Women will continue to work closely with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar in implementing programs aimed at improving the lives of women and girls and promoting equal development for all citizens.
