Prioritise feminist well-being economies, nations called
In the face of increasing threats to women’s rights across Southern Africa, the African Women Leaders Forum (AWLF) has called on African countries, including Malawi to implement feminist well-being economies and address critical gaps in the education sector.
AWLF, a network of young women activists and organisations that advance the rights and participation of women across sub-Saharan Africa, made the call yesterday in a communique issued after their regional meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In the communique, the women expressed concern over the erosion of progress in women’s rights on the continent, noting the resurgence of patriarchal and discriminatory systems.
“We are concerned about the erosion of gains made to promote women’s rights and human rights, and the advancement of inclusive and democratic governance in the region,” the communique reads in part.
The forum highlighted Malawi’s critical need to reform its educational policies, urging the government to “guarantee the universal right to free, quality education for all learners, without delegating this responsibility to the private sector.”
Malawi has expressed commitment to implement strategies aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063 to promote women’s rights.
The meeting which drew representatives from Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa, discussed the persistent challenges facing women and girls in the region.