Irish Embassy hails NGOs for promoting women rights
The Irish Embassy has hailed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country for their efforts in promoting women’s rights.
In an interview yesterdayin Lilongwe, Irish Ambassador Gerry Cunningham said NGOs in the country areplaying an important role by tackling issues concerning women, includinggender-based violence (GBV) and violence in work places, which affect progressof Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said: “I appreciate how NGOs are doing their activities to uphold women’s rights in communities, since women are most marginalised and they find it difficult to achieve their various goals.”
Cunningham said the Irish Aid Consortium on GBV, which comprises nine NGOs, namely ActionAid, Self Help Africa, Goal Malawi, Concern Worldwide and Irish Aid, has portrayed an excellent picture in promoting rights of women, particularly women farmers, in the country.
“NGOs are doing good work in supporting women. I hope this will craft a GBV-free environment for women. However, there is a need for district councils and donors to join hands to fully promote women rights and justice,” he said.
Goal Malawi deputy head of programmes Janet Mwangomba who also chairs Irish Aid consortium on GBV, said their initiatives have cut off the silence on GBV among women, adding women are now able to report violence cases.
This year, the Irish Aid Consortium on GBV conducted a survey in Balaka as part of preparations for the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV commemorations which started on November 25 until yesterday.
The survey revealed that along the agriculture value chain, rural women farmers suffer from various forms of GBV from their spouses, community members and sometimes community leaders.
