Oxfam calls for coordination in 50-50 Campaign

 Oxfam Malawi country director Lingalireni Mihowa has expressed concern over lack of coordination amoung stakeholders in Women in Politics Empowerment programme, saying it leads to compromised outputs of programme objectives.

The Women in Politics Empowerment programme, also known as the 50-50 Campaign, seeks to promote women to take up decision-making positions.

Speaking last week during a meeting which the Women Caucus in Parliament conducted with stakeholders such as Ministry of Gender and other non-governmental organisations, Mihowa said the lack of coordination to support the women politicians lead to duplication of efforts which reduces impact.

She said: “It is affecting the efforts we can make as NGOs as well as development partners. Ideally, the Ministry of Gender has been advocating for an electoral calendar cycle of support which would require stakeholders to look at the whole five years to support the MPs before and after the elections.

“This means that the members have their own expectations and the CSOs have knowledge of the limits of their funding but they are not talking to each other and in the end the support towards the women politicians suffers.”

Mihowa, therefore, proposed that the Ministry of Gender and the NGO-Gender Coordinating Network should be convenors to support the tripartite discussions.

Women Caucus in Parliament executive member Eurita Ntiza Valeta, who chaired the meeting, said they will look into the matter.