By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, August 12, Mana: Government has announced plans to launch Political Empowerment of Women (PEW) strategy on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza made the announcement on Monday during a Press briefing in Lilongwe.

Sendeza called on all the women for full participation in the upcoming 2025 general elections saying that as a Ministry they want to achieve 35 percent  competition of women in politics.

“Government of Malawi recognises  that when women occupy high-level political offices, society becomes more gender-sensitive by adopting and adapting new ways of doing things to accommodate the interests of both gender,” she said.

She emphasised that the Ministry has reviewed the 2019 Strategy on PEW and came up with a successor strategy whose implementation will assist to increase women representation in elected political positions.

“It is envisioned that implementation of the 2024 Strategy on PEW will result in balanced participation of women in Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government elections,” Sendeza stated.

She said the launch of 2024 National Strategy for PEW will start by holding a half-day awareness event to sensitise stakeholders, the media and the general public on the contents of the Strategy.

Country Director for Oxfam Lingalileni Mihowa, said they are going to engage different political parties and the media to sensitise the public on the importance of women participation in politics.

“As  Oxfam we thought we should launch the strategy together with the Ministry in good time so that women, girls and people with disabilities will have much time to prepare themselves for the general election, we are going to mentor these people throughout so that they understand what politics is it all about,” Said Mihowa.

The National launch of PEW will take place at Lithipe area in Dedza district.