UNDP pledges to continue supporting gender initiatives
UNDP has assured Malawi that it will continue to support the country’s gender initiatives for the next five years.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assistant resident representative Dr Agnes Chimbiri gave the assurance on Thursday during the presentation of the Training Needs Assessment Reports for Parliamentary Women’s Caucus.
She said UNDP will support the strengthening of the gender machinery, including, capacity building and, political and economic empowerment of women.
Chimbiri said in 2009, UNDP mobilised resources in efforts to increase representation of women in Parliament.
“With this support in 2009, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections (PPE) increased the number of women representation in the Malawi Parliament from 25 [14 percent] in 2004 to 42 [22 percent],” she said.
First Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola said the training gaps identified for the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus may cut across the entire House; hence, male MPs would benefit from the women caucus.
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare Anita Kalinde, who presented the report to Chingola said her ministry recognises that female MPs on their own cannot address the training needs that have been identified; hence, the need to work with their male counterparts.
