DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 22 -- THE meeting between President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and former Ugandan Vice-President Dr Speciosa Kazibwe in Dar es Salaam was not a symbolic encounter between two pioneering African women.

It offers an important reminder that increasing womens participation in leadership requires not only access to positions of power, but also deliberate efforts to prepare, encourage and mentor the next generation.

Their agreement on the need to strengthen mentorship among women leaders comes at a critical moment for Africa. Although the continent has made meaningful progress in expanding womens political representation, women remain significantly underrepresented in many centres of decision making.

According to the Inter-P...