NGO dates statutory corporations on gender ratio

In its quest to ensure that the public service employs not less than 40 percent women in its departments, NGO-Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) on Tuesday held meetings with the Department of Statutory Corporations and other government organs at Sunbird Capital in Lilongwe

Chairperson of Women in Politics and Decision Making at NGOGCN, Emmie Chanika, said the meeting was organised to orient the department on the Gender Act.

“As NGOGCN, we are promoting the inclusion of more women in the public service through the implementation of the Section 11 of the Gender Act.

“We believe that this can be achieved if we reach out to the Department of Statutory Corporations, Department of Human Resources Management and other government organs. We are pushing for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women,” she said.

Chanika said the challenge they are facing is that some quarters have branded the gender fight as against political parties or the country’s leadership.

“But we are glad that the current government has embraced and is willing to implement the Gender Act and include it in the Public Service Act review,” she said.

Ministry of Gender, Women, Children, Disability and Social Welfare principal development officer Fred Simwaka said due to limited resources, they have failed to reach other government organs to orient them on the Gender Act. n