Let us promote each other, JB asks women

Malawi President Joyce Banda has urged women in this country to be advocates of one another in an empowerment drive.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Saturday during the commemoration of the International Women’s Day, Banda said women can act as a catalyst in achieving progress in other areas of development.

“Indeed time is now for Malawian women to claim their place, there can be no better time, than now when we are celebrating 50 years of independence and 20 years of democracy,” she said.

Banda further said the representation of women in politics keeps improving yearly but more needs to be done.

“I have noted that, this year, there are two female presidential candidates and out of the 1 290 parliamentary candidates, 257 are women, representing 20 percent. In addition, 400 women are standing as councillors, this is encouraging, but more needs to be done. The more women there are, the stronger the punch in pushing for the betterment of children and women in this country,” she said.

In a statement, the European Union (EU) High representative Catherine Ashton said: “This day is a great opportunity to celebrate the real transformation the world has witnessed in women’s rights, thanks to both individual achievements and our common participation in political life.”