How former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro pioneered important reforms for equality worldwide.

Dr Migiro, you have served as Tanzania’s Foreign Minister and as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations – and have always remained true to your core issues of women’s rights and equality. What sparked your passion for politics?

What I experienced during my law degree was decisive: our professors at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) did pro bono legal work and would take us students along with them. This was part of the development philosophy of the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, which made a big impression on me: “A person who has received a good education should give something back to the community that made this education possible despite its scant resources.” During this voluntary work I realised that people’s legal problems were always political in nature. When it came to custody battles, for example: many women were not financially in a position to feed their children following a divorce because some fathers were reluctant or had no means to pay for child support. What is more, women were greatly disadvantaged in terms of property and inheritance law. I was very concerned about these and other forms of discrimination. I myself had never experienced discrimination because my father was a magistrate who was a very strong believer in justice and treated his sons and daughters equally.

You did your PhD at the University of Konstanz, a partner university of the University of Dar es Salaam, on a DAAD scholarship. Why did you choose Germany?

Our older daughter was just two at the time, and as my husband was often in Europe for his work it was easier for me to see them both in Konstanz than if I had gone to the US. It was difficult at first in Germany. I still remember landing at Frankfurt airport – it was cold, everyone was in an incredible hurry, and I didn’t understand a word of German. But then I turned out to have a great time! I met interesting people from all over the world in my German classes and my supervisor was very supportive. In my doctoral thesis, I compared the institutional framework of the EEC – as the European Union was still called at the time – with the precursor organisation to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in which 16 African states cooperate politically and economically. After returning home in 1992 I became a lecturer and later the head of the law faculty at the University of Dar es Salaam.

How did you get into politics?

I did voluntary legal aid work in a women’s group and cooperated with members of parliament on issues relating to women’s and children’s rights. At least 30 per cent of parliamentary seats in Tanzania are reserved for women and I successfully ran for one of these seats. I became Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children in the year 2000. We achieved some important legal milestones over the following five years and hugely improved women’s property rights. Equality in public land ownership, division of matrimonial property and inheritance law was placed on a more solid legal footing. Enormous progress was also achieved with victim protection in sexual offences law: such cases are now heard in private, with the identity of victims strictly safeguarded.

In 2006 you were the first woman to be appointed head of the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry. Was there any opposition to your appointment?

No, not at all! Some people were probably sceptical, as is always the case when a woman is appointed to a high office for the first time. Much has since been achieved in terms of women in leadership positions, however. Since 2021, Tanzania has had its first female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan – a great role model for Tanzanian women!

During my time as Foreign Minister, I particularly campaigned for relations to be deepened with other countries in the region. At the time, we introduced successful conflict resolution mechanisms. However, I was unable to remain in office for very long because I was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

It sounds as if you were surprised by this...

I was! I had met Ban Ki-moon by chance in 2006 when we sat next to each other on a flight from Dubai to Dar es Salaam. In January 2007 I was just chairing an SADC conference in Lesotho when I was informed about my appointment. That was an emotional rollercoaster! I would have liked to continue serving as Foreign Minister, but the position at the United Nations was a great honour for Tanzania and the African continent. Working with the team at the UN Secretariat, we achieved a great deal in New York. I had first-hand experience of the problems of the Global South, which was very helpful in overcoming the developmental challenges of the time. One of my most important tasks was to reorganise the UN institutions that deal with development policy and gender equality issues. At the time many agencies were doing more or less the same thing, which was not very effective. We achieved coherence of these entities. When my term in office ended in 2012, I returned to Dar es Salaam, and a year later was appointed Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs – a very exciting portfolio because it involved reviewing our constitution.

What were the key points of this reform?

The draft constitution contained a catalogue of human and fundamental rights, the power of the president was moderated, and the supremacy of the parliament and the independence of the judiciary were strengthened. What was special about the reform process was the direct participation of citizens. We travelled through the entire country to hear the population’s opinion of the draft constitution. I believe this has strengthened our democracy.

Are you still politically active?

When I ended my seven-year stint as Tanzania’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Ireland in 2023 I had actually been looking forward to fully enjoying my retirement. But then I was appointed chair of a committee tasked with drafting the national Vision 2050 for Tanzania. Its core areas of focus are governance, peace and security, development, and environment and climate change. I feel honoured to have this new responsibility. I am in good health and believe that I am still able to give something back to my country.

How do you believe more women can get into leadership positions?

In my first ministerial post, I learnt that it is never just about women, it’s always also about the communities in which they live. That’s where you must start. I believe the best way to empower women is to empower communities – through education, good healthcare and opportunities to balance work and family life. It is very important to convey values to communities such as equality, dignity and respect for all. Inclusion is absolutely key to development as no nation can progress if women or any other section of the population are left behind.

Interview: Miriam Hoffmeyer (1 October 2024)