By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, March 21, Mana: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Karonga Diocese on Wednesday trained 18 volunteers in Senior Chief Kameme in Chitipa District on electoral laws and how women can take part in electoral processes.

Gender Coordinator for CCJP Karonga Diocese, Janet Mhango, said the training was organized for the volunteers to build their capacity ahead of 2025 general elections.

“We have trained the volunteers on the barriers women face in politics and also during the electoral period.  We have also trained them on electoral laws and how best they can promote women participation in the upcoming general elections,” said she.

Mhango further said that her organization expects that the volunteers will go to the grassroots and continue sensitizing community leaders, religious leaders and local governance structures like area development committees (ADC) and village development committees (VDC).

District Gender Officer for Chitipa, James Gubudu, said some female aspirants in elections fail to make it due to lack of capacity and courage to address people.

“Most women aspirants lack courage. So we have trained the volunteers on how to generate that courage as far as the manifestos and what they have planned to offer to people is concerned.

 “We expect the volunteers to go flat out to engage communities, VDCs, ADCs and other community platforms to disseminate the information we have imparted to them,” he said.

One of the volunteers, Annet Phiri, said they will utilize every gathering in their localities to encourage more women to contest in 2025 general elections.

Chitipa District has three female ward councilors out of ten and no female Member of Parliament.