Female councillors urged to be proactive

NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) has urged female councillors from the Central Region to be proactive and accountable if they are to retain their positions in the next tripartite elections in 2024.

The call was made on Friday during a day-long training NGO-GCN organised in partnership with Malawi Local Government Association in Lilongwe.

NGO-GCN programmes officer Felix Chikalira said the training sought to build capacity and orient female councillors on their roles for them to understand the local government system.

“They have won as female councillors yes, but we want to build capacity on how they should conduct themselves,” he said.

NGO-GCN consultant Gift Gundani urged the councillors to take the training seriously, saying without a strong local government, the efforts of the central government will be in vain.

Lilongwe City mayor Juliana Kaduya said the training was important as it will outline guidelines on performance.

Ntchisi District Council chairperson Grace Chiodza Mtola, a first-time councillor,  commended NGO-GCN for the  training.

“This is helpful and enlightening for many of us,” she said. n