Women in politics need support—Wolrec
Women’s Legal Resource Centre (Wolrec) says earlier identification and empowering of women interested to contest in the 2019 Tripartite Elections is key to achieving the 50-50 gender balance campaign.
Wolrec project coordinator Tisungane Ntonga said this on Friday in Zomba during the launch of Wolrec’s Women Empowered for Leadership (WE4L) Project being funded by The Netherlands through Hivos to give equal opportunities and capacities to women to fully participate in societal and decision-making processes.
She said in the 2014 elections, the country failed to vote into power more women because of the delayed support most political parties and communities rendered towards empowering women in politics.
“We have a wide range of activities which include capacity building for potential women leaders, networking, coalition-building and cooperation between aspiring women leaders and political parties as well as other target groups for them to appreciate that women in politics can do better in the development of the country,” Ntonga said.
Zomba Chingale Ward councillor Angela Unyolo, the only female councillor at Zomba District Council, emphasised that publicity of women is vital in ushering them into power.
“If women have sufficient time for exposure, they have ample time to ably identify developments to achieve when voted into power,” she said.
Sub-Traditional Authority (ST/A) N’kagula called on chiefs to support women under their jurisdictions.
“Let us remember that women have potential to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country if they are fully accepted by the society,” he said.
