General Secretary of Action Aid International Adriano Campolina
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The visiting General Secretary of Action Aid International, Adriano Campolina, met some groups working with Action Aid Malawi in Malawi’s Capital Lilongwe and assured them of his organisation’s continued support in their work of promoting rights and alleviating poverty among women.
The groups are; Lilongwe Urban Poor People’s Network, Lilongwe Urban Women Forum and Youth Activista.
One of them, Lilongwe Urban Women Forum, has a resource centre in area 49 where they often meet and plan many of their activities.
These groups have members such as youths, girls, widows, elderly women and business women who fight violence against women and indulge in economic activities to improve their well-being.
Speaking when he visited the groups on Friday morning at the resource centre, Campolina said he was impressed.
“What I have noted is that when people are well mobilized and organised, it is possible to achieve anything,” he told journalists after the meeting.
“These women have achieved economic independence which would not just have come and are coming up with initiatives of resilience to effects of climate change that mostly affect them”.
Campolina then went on to pledge his organisation’s commitment in continuing to supporting the groups, saying there is still alot they require to achieve together.
“As an organization, we will continue to mobilize resources both domestically and internationally to help groups such as these so that they continue achieving positives out of their noble work,” promised Campolina.
According to Coordinator for Lilongwe Urban Women Forum Agnes Mphote, her group has reached out to over 6000 women to enlighten them about their rights.
“As a group, we also operate cooperatives to enable our members save money which they later borrow to bail them out in their business ventures”.
However, Mphote noted that violence against women remains the biggest set back in their efforts to promote women.
She commended Action Aid International for committing to continue supporting her group and several others.
Campolina was accompanied by a Ministry of Gender official Chimwemwe Grace Kuseni and some senior officials from Action Aid Malawi.
During his visit in Malawi, he also held discussions with cooperating partners of Action Aid Malawi in order to strengthen their working relationship.
On Friday afternoon, he held a press conference in company of Action Aid Malawi Board Chairperson Agnes Malata where he noted that total emancipation of women from oppression is a long struggle in Malawi.
“While the women are doing their best as I saw earlier, I also notice that there is growing resistance to their cause”.
He said this in reaction to the women’s own testimonies and many reported cases of women harassment and abuse in the country.
Campolina emphasized that the liberation of women and their inclusion in politics and decision making must be a zealous effort of all relevant stakeholders including government.
“The government is the biggest guarantor of rights and protection of its citizens. It must take decisive action when the vulnerable groups, especially women, are being oppressed,” he said.