Machinga Director of Education describes women as crucial agents for change

Machinga, October 5, Mana: Women Legal Resource Center (WORLEC) and OXFAM engaged women drawn from 24 traditional authorities in Machinga at a Women’s Manifesto meeting to inspire those that aspire to contest in various elective positions in the 2025 general election.

Machinga District Council’s Director of Education, Youth and Sports, Nellie Kamtedza said women play crucial role in socio-economic development in Malawi hence the need to empower them in various ways.

Kamtedza made the remarks on Friday at Machinga Secondary School hall where she was a guest of honour at the Women’s Manifesto gathering organized by WORLEC and OXFAM with support from European Union.

“Women are crucial in socio economic development. They need to take part in any decision-making processes and not only to be involved.

“They need to be part of the process at all levels of decision making including being given opportunity in elective political positions,” she added.

The director observed that women have been left behind despite being in majority in the country’s population.

“Women have always been left behind despite the fact that they constitute a bigger portion of the population as compared to men. They have not been adequately represented at different levels,” said Kamtedza.

She also noted that women face various challenges that can only be addressed if they are part of the decision-making processes at all levels.

The Director of Education and Youth and Sports therefore applauded WOLRC and OXFAM for inspiring women in Machinga to contest and take up decision making positions in the society so that they should adequately represent women and other unserved population’s interests.

She therefore asked women aspirants that attended the meeting to compete in various elective positions in the 2025 general election.

“As women in the society, you have a role to play to level the ground during the forth coming general elections. You need to take part and contest. If you are not contesting then, make sure that you support women candidates,” Kamtedza said.

One of the participants, Beatrice Chisuse, who is also Director of Women Forum in Machinga, said the engagement meeting was held at a right time, as women aspirants need support ahead of elections in 2025.

Chisuse acknowledged that women in the district have always been left behind in most of the decision making positions, saying time has come for women to reclaim their positions in the society.

“We need to support women aspirants so that we should have more women in different elective positions. Once women are voted into such positions, we can achieve meaningful development at district and national level,” she added.

Machinga District Principal Gender Development Officer, Rita Sukasuka observed that a lot of women in the district have low self-esteem and need to be inspired to stand up to gain recognition in the society.

“These meetings will inspire women to contest in the general election. We have a critical task to ensure that more women take up decision making positions,” she added.

Women's Manifesto in Malawi is a collective agenda and advocacy document created by Malawian women to highlight their key demands and priorities related to gender equality, women’s rights and political participation.

It serves as a tool to influence policy and ensure that women's voices are integrated into the governance process.