NGO calls for more women leaders

Tovwirane, a non-governmental organisation operating in the North, has urged Malawians to increase women representation in decision-making positions to reduce corruption and spur national development.

Programme Officer Cecilia Chivunga made the call in Nkhata Bay recently when she briefed village heads and religious leaders under Traditional Authority (TA) Timbiri on her organisation’s upcoming programme to empower women for leadership positions.

“We are not saying women are not corrupt, but corruption is more rampant among men,” she said,

Last week, Transparency International (TI) released a corruption perception index which shows that corruption in the country has worsened since 2012.  The country was ranked number 120, down from 88 five years ago.

Tovwirane aims at building skills of women aspiring for leadership roles in politics. The aspirants will be mentored on how to handle violence, party hostility, sexual stereotypes, public speaking and self-presentation during campaign meetings.

The initiative will target Democratic People’s Party (DPP), United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), People’s Party (PP) and Alliance for Democracy (Aford), she said.

Village head Kapanda blamed people for not supporting women who vie for public positions even at local level. n