By Coreta Wilton

Mulanje, August 20, Mana: Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) in collaboration with OXFAM Malawi and the Malawi Government is meeting different political candidates and aspirants from Mulanje District.

The meeting is being conducted with the aim of promoting women, the youth under the age of 35 and people with disabilities to take part in politics as one way of promoting gender transformative and youth inclusive democracy in Malawi.

The campaign has been funded by the European Union.

Mulanje Central Constituency Shadow Member of Parliament, Rhoda Gadama Misomali, observed that one of the reasons some women do not win elections is due to lack of resources, which limits their ability to reach the entire area.

“Male candidates often receive more support than female candidates, particularly in terms of funding. Many women lack the financial resources needed to run effective campaigns and make themselves known throughout their constituencies,” Misomali said.

She, however, said there is need for a strong civic education to both the aspirants and the voters so that they should have deep understanding of politics so that everyone should be able to play their part which would lead to effective developments across the country.

In her remarks, Oxfam Malawi Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa commended all the political candidates for attending the discussions.

“This initiative has helped to promote coexistence among candidates from different political parties, fostering unity, which is essential for development,” said Mihowa.

Mihowa, therefore, pledged that Oxfam and WOLREC will be well-equipped to support women’s participation in politics and their representation in decision-making positions at all levels.