Lilongwe, March 28, 2018: The 50:50 Management Agency in Malawi Tuesday night took the campaign for equal participation in politics to political parties with a major focus on establishing what deliberate strategies parties have developed to improve women representation in elected positions.
“Political parties are the major custodians of this campaign and we want to see what they have done and are still doing to increase women participation,” said Grace Malera, Executive Director of Action Aid, which is party to the consortium for the 50:50 Campaign Malawi.
She said the campaign wants to work closely with parties to ensure meaningful inclusion of women from councilor level to that of Member of Parliament.
With dominant challenges like discrimination, violence and lack of economic capacity frustrating the majority of women in politics, the consortium feels there is need for proper coordination and programming around the electoral cycle for the campaign to make a difference.
“The campaign wants to open the social space for women participation starting from primary elections to actual elections and beyond.
“This will require us working together with parties and individuals towards having a critical mass of women participation at all levels for the attainment of the country’s sustainable development,” Malera said.
Team leader for the 50:50 Campaign, Viwemi Chavula highlighted some of the actions political parties are supposed to take to improve women participation.
Some of the actions included having a deliberate female recruiting strategy for the elections, deliberate quotas and targets for women and development of a code of conduct for party meetings and events.
“Let us have these affirmative action steps in creating a political system that promotes women participation,” Chavula said.
In his contribution, Malawi Congress Party second deputy secretary general, Eisenhower Mkaka said political parties are always ready to promote equal participation but pointed out that women themselves should demonstrate the willingness to take up the challenge.
“Women have to prove that they can deliver because they will never get a sympathy vote. All what parties can do is to provide resources for the women to unleash their potential,” Mkaka said.
Deputy national for women in Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Hyacinta Chikaonda said women should work together and encourage each other towards their increased participation in politics.
Over 11 political parties were represented in this interface meeting.
