This archive report was first published on 23 August 2021.
Published on August 23, 2021, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has sparked controversy with her remarks on female footballers.
Speaking at the State House in Dar es Salaam, President Hassan received a trophy won by the national under-23 football team for the season's Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) challenge cup.
While praising the women for winning trophies, President Hassan made some remarks that have been widely criticised. She said that some of the female footballers do not stand a chance at getting married because of the way they look.
“If we bring them here and line them up, for those with flat chests, you might think they are men – not women,” she said of the women’s football team.
Her comments have been met with widespread criticism on social media, with many calling out the president for her remarks. One Twitter user shared part of President Samia’s speech while criticising it:
Pres @SuluhuSamia makes rude remarks on young girls’ soccer team. She affirms that their flat boobs make them unattractive & don’t stand a chance to get married. Magufuli banned pregnant girls from going to school. Samia sustains the ban & makes fun of poor girls w/ flat boobs. https://t.co/ZMk00QcKy2 — Liberatus Mwang'ombe (@Liberatus80) August 23, 2021
