Samia Suluhu Hassan
| Samia Suluhu Hassan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Samia Suluhu Hassan January 27, 1960 |
| Education | The University of Manchester |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Being Tanzania's first female President |
| Spouse(s) | Hafidh Ameir |
| Children | Wanu Hafidh Ameir |
Samia Suluhu Hassan is a Tanzanian politician. She was sworn in as Tanzania's first female president following the death of John Magufuli.
Background
Samia Suluhu Hassan's father was a school teacher and her mother, a housewife.[1]
Husband
She married Hafidh Ameir in 1978. Her husband is known to be an agricultural academic but keeps a low profile. Since Samia became vice-president, the two have not been pictured together.[2]
Children
Samia and her husband have four children with their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, who is currently a member of Zanzibar House of Representatives. They have one daughter and three sons.[2]
Religion
Samia Suluhu Hassan is a practising Muslim.[3]
Education
Samia Suluhu Hassan graduated from Mzumbe University in 1986 with an Advanced Diploma in Public Administration. She continued on to the University of Manchester where she received a postgraduate diploma in Economics in 1994. In 2015 received a received a Masters in Science in Community Economic Development through a joint program between the Open University of Tanzania and the Southern New Hampshire University.[2][4]
Hassan graduated from high school but has said publicly that her finishing results were poor, and she took a clerkship in a government office at 17. By 1988, after undertaking further study, Hassan had risen through the ranks to become a development officer in the Zanzibar government.[1]
Political Career
She was employed as a project manager for the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and later in the 1990s was made executive director of an umbrella body governing non-governmental organisations in Zanzibar.[1]
Suluhu Hassan began her political career in 2000 after she was elected as a special seat member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives and appointed a minister. At the time, she was the only high-ranking female minister in the Cabinet.
After serving two terms, she sought election to the National Assembly in 2010, winning the vote by more than 80%. President Jakaya Kikwete appointed her as the minister of state for union affairs In 2014, she was elected as the vice-chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting Tanzania's new constitution.
In 2015, Magufuli selected Suluhu Hassan as his running mate — a surprise choice over many more prominent members of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.[3] She became Tanzania's 10th Vice President and assumed Office on 5 November 2015, under President Dr John Pombe Magufuli. Before she became Vice President she was a Minister of State, Vice Presidents Office in charge of Union Affairs.
From 2005-2010 she served as a Minister for Tourism, trade and Investment in Zanzibar and in 2000-2005 a Minister of Youth Employment, Women and Children Development in Zanzibar.[5]
In 2005, when she was minister of labour, gender development and children in Zanzibar, she overturned a ban on young mothers returning to school after giving birth.[2]
In March 2021 she was sworn in as Tanzania's first female president following the death of John Magufuli. She was sworn in to complete Magufuli's second five-year term in office, which began in October 2020 after he won general elections. She became Tanzania's first president born in semi-autonomous Zanzibar.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Profile: Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s new president, Al Jazeera, Published: March 19, 2021, Retrieved: March 21, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Samia Suluhu Hassan - Tanzania's new president, BBC, Published: March 19, 2021, Retrieved: March 20, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Samia Suluhu Hassan: Who is Tanzania's new president?, DW, Published: March 2021, Retrieved: March 20, 2021
- ↑ Tom Gitaa, Meet Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first ever female vice president, Mshale, Published: November 13, 2015, Retrieved: March 20, 2021
- ↑ Samia Suluhu Hassan, World Bank, Published: No Date Given, Retrieved: March 20, 2021