By Salome Gangire

Neno, May 21, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has urged male champions to use their influence in society to drum up support for women aspiring to contest in various positions in the 2025 general elections so that they get elected into power.

NICE Civic Education Officer for Neno, Wallace Kudzala, said this on Monday during the training of male champions for the Inclusive Participation of Women in Malawi Politics (Nthawi Yawo) Project.

NICE and the Centre for Civil Society Strengthening, with funding from the United Nations Development Programme, are implementing Nthawi Yawo Project in Karonga, Salima and Neno districts aimed at increasing women participation in politics.

“There is underrepresentation of women in positions of leadership and decision making in many key institutions like political parties, parliament and even local councils; so, we want male champions to advocate for women empowerment,” Kudzala said.

He said among other reasons of women underrepresentation in politics is the patriarchal assumption that women are incapable of taking leadership or political roles, thereby creating inequalities.

Kudzala added that male champions are crucial in advocating for women empowerment in their communities as they are people of influence and good reputation who can easily influence their fellow men to vote for women, thereby changing the narrative.

Gender Officer for Neno District Council, Clement Katsosa, said involving men in women empowerment will greatly have an impact as it will be men promoting women.

“Previously, issues to do with women empowerment were being championed by fellow women which was difficult for men to agree. So, involving men to champion a women cause will have great results,” he said.

One of the male champions from Chikonde Ward, Anderson Kasoloka, said he is geared to promote more women to participate in politics in the 2025 general elections and influence fellow men to give the women support.

Kasoloka said he will meet all governance structures in his community to promote women participation and involvement in politics and advocate for their election.

NICE has trained 12 male champions in Neno District, two in each ward. There are no female parliamentarians nor councilors in Neno.