Phalombe forms gender committees

People of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mkhumba in Phalombe have formed gender committees to lobby  for greater representation of women in leadership positions.

Gender committees patron Reck Minjolo, speaking during a gender support programme (GSP) meeting  at Mpasa Primary School in the district on Friday, said that they want to lobby for women participation in decision-making positions.

He said since the launch of the committees, they  have women leaders in Mphonde and Bwanaisa village development committees (VDCs).

Mpasa ward councillor Damson Chiphaka said he was the only male among five people that contested for the position.

“I believe I won because people did not believe that women could lead, which must change,” he said.

GSP programmes officer Antony Mkupira said there is hope that more women will be in leadership positions in the near future.

GSP is a member of NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) under Women in Politics and Decision Making (WPDM) Permanent Committee (PC).

With funding from Royal Norwegian Embassy through NGO-GCN, it is carrying out an Accelerating Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (Agewe) project in Blantyre, Phalombe, Ntcheu and Dowa districts. n