Lilongwe, May 26: A delegation of over 10 United States Congressional and Care Women Monday said they were impressed with Malawi’s interventions in ensuring the protection of girl-child and women empowerment.
President and CEO of CARE USA who led the delegation, Helen Gayle, said this at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe after the delegation met President Professor Peter Mutharika.
She said while in the country, the delegation had been to a number of places where they had talked to girls in schools and women to appreciate their challenges and government’s role in mitigating them.
“Our main focus is on empowerment of women and girls in a number of areas such as education, health nutrition and food security,” explained Gayle, adding, “We came to see progress on the ground and there is real success.
“There is no one solution to the challenges women and girls face in the country and we discussed how important it is to integrate our efforts.”
Earlier before the delegation went into closed session with President Mutharika, the Malawi leader filled the delegation in on the steps government had taken to ensure empowerment and protection of the girl-child and women in the country.
Mutharika described women and girls as a very important pillar in the development of the country and that was why his government was placing emphasis on empowering them knowing that they tended to be disadvantaged in most situations.
Said the President: “I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that women have the potential to effectively take part in the transformation of the social and economic status of Malawi,”
“My government has registered considerable success in gender related issues through the enforcement and implementation of various gender related legislation such as the Passing the Marriage bill (2015); Gender Equality Act (2013), Deceased Estates (Wills, Inheritance and Protection) Act (2011), Child Justice and Protection Act (2010), Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (2006) to mention, but a few.”
Mutharika said his government was also implementing various gender related programmes, such as Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE); Increasing the participation of Women in Politics and Decision Making; Women Social and Economic Empowerment; Increasing Access and Quality of Education for Girls; Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS; Functional Literacy; and the Cash Transfer Programme, among others.
He, however, noted that despite progress made so far, government was still experiencing persistent gender disparities such as the participation of women in decision making positions in the public service at 23 percent; 16.5 percent in the National Assembly; and 10.7 percent in the Local Assembly, against the 50 percent 2015 target.
“Maternal Mortality Rates are at 460 per 100,000 live births against the 2015 target of 150; The percentage of women living under the poverty line is at 51.6 percent; Prevalence of HIV is higher in women at 12.9 percent, compared to 8.1 percent for men,” said Mutharika.
He added that 33 percent of Malawi women, experienced intimate partner violence; and that 1 in 3 girls marry before the age of 18; while 30 percent of households in Malawi were female headed.
Mutharika said his government was making significant efforts to address the aforesaid disparities, through introduction of universal education, campaign on education for teen mothers (re-admission campaign), intensification of adult literacy classes, among other programmes, considering that the principal cause of the gender disparities was high illiteracy rates among women and girls.
“We are also hoping that the enactment of the Marriage bill will help reduce gender based violence and assist inending child, forced and early marriages which take away girls from school and bring about health hazards and maternal deaths among girls,” said the Malawi leader.
He thanked CARE for complementing government efforts through their programmes implemented in partnership with government agencies aimed at ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind.
