National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust has encouraged women aspirants in Karonga District to develop appealing manifestos to attract voters during campaign period.
Nice Trust Karonga district programmes officer Nathan Sakala said this on Wednesday during a training for the district’s 24 female aspirants for local government and parliamentary elections slated for September 16 2025.
He said: “The training sought to build confidence in female candidates in public speaking.
“But importantly, we want them to run an issue-based campaign and not indulge in politics of castigation. We want the candidates to develop mouth-watering manifestos which focus on what they will do for the electorates once voted into power.”
Lupembe Ward shadow councillor Walinase Mhango (National Patriotic Party), who is also the only female candidate with disability, described the training as an opportunity for her.
“The training guided us on how to formulate manifestos to woo voters. We have learned how to run issue-based campaign,” she said.
On her part, Karonga district principal gender officer Ireen Mwenilupembe said women face challenges such as cultural beliefs, lack of finances, lack of support from fellow women and failure to form women networks that can help them during campaign.
“The training empowered women to contextualise messages that resonate with eligible voters,” she said.
With funding from the United Nations Development Programme, Nice Trust in partnership with Centre for Civil Society and Strengthening is implementing Nthawi Yawo Project in the district
