Rais Jakaya Kikwete akiwa na Mke wake Mama Salma Kikwete wakizungumza na Rais mstaafu wa Marekani, George Bush wakati wa kikao cha wake wa Marais wa Afrika kinachofanyika katika hoteli ya Serena hapa Dar es Salaam tarehe 2.7.2013.
Rais Jakaya Kikwete akiwa na Rais Mstaafu wa Marekani Mheshimiwa George Bush na mke wake Mama Laura Bush pamoja na Mama Salma Kikwete wakiangalia igizo lililokuwa linafanya na kikundi cha Tanzania House of Talent wakati wa mkutano wa wake wa marais wa Afrika unaofanyika katika hoteli ya Serena tarehe 3.7.2013.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY H.E. JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA ON THE OCCASION OF OPENING THE AFRICAN FIRST LADIES SUMMIT AT SERENA HOTEL, DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, 2ND JULY, 2013
Your Excellency George W. Bush, Former President of the United States of America;
Your Excellency Madame Salma Kikwete, First Lady of the United Republic of Tanzania;
Your Excellency Madame Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States of America;
Your Excellency Madame Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the United States of America;
Your Excellency Madame Cherie Blair, Former First Lady of the United Kingdom;
Excellencies African First Ladies;
Honourable Ministers;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Tanzania, and Dar es Salaam in particular for the African First Ladies Summit. I thank all the African First Ladies for finding the time to come to attend this all important meeting.
In a very special way I sincerely thank my long time friend and brother, President George W. Bush, his dear wife Laura and the entire leadership of the Bush Institute for organizing this meeting. In the same vein I thank the Exxon Mobil Corporation for the sponsorship which made this meeting possible.
Mke wa Rais Mama Salma Kikwete akisalimiana na Rais Mstaafu wa Marekani, George Bush wakati wa ufunguzi wa mkutano wa wake wa Marais na wakuu wa nchi za Afrika uliofanyika Dar es Salaam kwa ufadhili wa Taasisi ya George Bush.
Rais Jakaya Kikwete akihutubia mkutano wa siku mbili wa wake wa marais wa Afrika uliofanyika katika hoteli ya Serena Dar es Salaam.
Excellencies;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
I commend the organizers for choosing a theme which is very opportune indeed. “Investing in Women: Strengthening Africa”. It is a statement of fact that women are the backbone of the family, society and therefore the nation. Investing in women therefore is a matter of essence not of choice or optional matter. Women give life to humanity and bring up children from birth to adulthood. Investing in women to become good mothers benefits the children societies and nations. Women are part and parcel of the workforce. Therefore, they make invaluable contribution to wellbeing of the family and to the growth and development of nations and societies.
In Africa, women work more than men. The multiple roles of African women as the primary caretakers of children, providers of household, (fuel and water) and producers of food and wealth qualifies my assertion. Indeed, the benefits of empowering women spread beyond the individual women to her children, family, community and the nation. It will mean increase productivity, food security, income and general well-being. It will be healthy and prosperous family and nation.
However, it is amazing to note that women bear disproportionate burden of the world’s poverty. The situation is worse in Africa when women have not been empowered and denied the right to own land, therefore, they don’t control the wealth they labored to create. They are also being denied equal access to education and access to quality health services.
Excellencies;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
African cultures and traditions have a lot to do with this sad state in Africa. We are changing these cultures and we are making progress. Investing more in the education of girls is one way to empowering women. We are investing more in the improved health services, especially reproductive health. Furthermore, we must enhance women’s access to credit to empower them to earn income. I believe these three factors – education, health services and access to credit – can bring a positive change in the lives of women and make them active members of their communities and architects of their own future. The final result will be, as alluded to earlier, alleviation of poverty and prosperity in the African continent.
It is my sincere hope that you will dwell on some of these issues and come up with concrete proposals whose implementation will go a long way in overcoming the obstacles inhibiting African women’s progress and prosperity. It is equally my hope that you will propose plan of action and also follow up mechanisms so that whatever is agreed upon will not remain on paper. We are eagerly waiting for the outcome of the meeting.
I wish you fruitful deliberations and a pleasant stay in our country.
I thank you.