ABSTRACT
Perhaps the greatest reform that the Tanzanian National Assembly – or Bunge – has seen in recent years is the remarkable increase in the number of female members of parliament (MPs). Tanzania has made a big step forward on gender equality, and is ahead of many African countries. To address the severe gender gap in parliamentary representation the Tanzanian Parliament changed the Constitution to install a gender quota system, also known as the special-seat system or the reserved-seat system for women. The quota system is meant to enhance the rights and opportunities of women, and aims to improve their electoral performance, strengthen their participation within political parties and boost their representation in Parliament. Currently, there are 83 women MPs in the Tanzanian Parliament, approximately 23 per cent of the total number of MPs. Seventy-five of these came through affirmative action, five were appointed by the president and two are from the House of Representatives of Zanzibar.
