Time magazine has named Tanzania‘s first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
President Samia joins US Vice President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Apple CEO Tim Cook on the 2022 list.
The Time 100 list is divided into six categories: Pioneers, Icons, Artists, Titans, Leaders, and Innovators. Samia is in the category of Leaders.
Although she is not a new face in Tanzanian politics, she was sworn in as president on March 19, 2021, following the death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli.
In her first year as president, Samia has appointed more women to prominent ministries, including Health, Tourism, and Security. She has also met three times with opposition leader Freeman Mbowe.
“Her leadership has been a tonic.
“That year has made a big difference to Tanzania. A door has opened for dialogue between political rivals, steps have been taken to rebuild trust in the democratic system, efforts have been made to increase press freedom, and women and girls have a new role model,” Time Magazine said in a statement.
President Samia, who was born and raised on the island of Zanzibar, began her political career in 2000 when she was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
In contrast to her predecessor, she a soft politician who has recently insisted on peaceful, decent political campaigns.
She is serving as the sixth and the first female president of Tanzania since 2021. She is a member of the ruling social-democrat Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and the third female head of government of an East African Community (EAC) country.
Suluhu became Tanzania’s first female vice-president following the 2015 general election, after being elected on the CCM ticket with President Magufuli. Suluhu and Magufuli were re-elected to a second term in 2020. She briefly served as the second female interim Head of State in the EAC 27 years after Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi, spanning a period around the end of the year 1993.