Tundu Lissu, in an interview, comments on expectations for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, a Zanzibar native who was sworn in following former President John Magufuli’s death as Tanzania’s sixth—and first female—president.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan made the most of her recent trip to the United States, signaling a desire for an improved relationship and deeper bilateral economic ties. Given U.S. interests in a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic East Africa, and the worrying trends in the region, her charm offensive should be met with enthusiasm in Washington. The U.S.-Tanzania relationship had been strained for years, first by frustrations with corruption that siphoned off a significant portion of the sizeable foreign assistance investment Washington had made in the country, and then by concern over the autocratic governance style of Hassan’s predecessor, John Magufuli. But since assuming office after the death of Magufuli in March 2021, Hassan has moved cautiously and deliberately to shore up her own position and to change the country’s direction.

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers March 13 to March 26.

New data from CFR’s Women’s Power Index shows that in countries such as the United States, Belgium, and Lithuania, more women are in power than ever before.

Vice President Samia Suluhu, announcing President John Magufuli’s death yesterday, said the president died from a heart condition, and that he had been treated at two different hospitals in Dar es Salaam.