Parliamentary Women Caucus urges CSOs to encourage more women to join politics

Parliamentary Women Caucus Chairperson Mary Maulidi Khembo has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to intensify advocacy aimed at encouraging more women to participate in politics.

Khembo made the appeal in Parliament on Wednesday while presenting the caucus committee’s statement on the challenges preventing women from actively participating in political leadership.

She said many capable women are discouraged from joining politics because they face harassment, intimidation and verbal abuse.

“We are appealing to CSOs to work with us by conducting awareness meetings in villages together with chiefs and religious leaders so that women who aspire to join politics can feel free and confident to do so,” said Khembo.

Khembo noted that women remain significantly underrepresented in Parliament, saying that out of the 229 Members of Parliament, only 47 are women.

She stressed that many women have the ability and passion to represent their communities and speak on issues affecting vulnerable groups, but are being denied that opportunity due to intimidation and other barriers.

The caucus chairperson also appealed to the Minister of Finance to allocate more resources to the Ministry of Gender and the Malawi Police Service to strengthen efforts to protect women from political harassment and intimidation.

She further called on government and lawmakers to work together to eradicate the culture of political handouts, arguing that it discourages many women from contesting for public office.

Contributing to the debate, Zomba Malosa legislator Grace Kwelepeta said the number of female Members of Parliament continues to decline due to deaths and by-elections.

“We started with 49 female legislators, but we are now 47 after losing two women Members of Parliament before completing a year,” she said.

Kwelepeta urged Parliament to ensure that when a female chairperson vacates a parliamentary committee position, she is replaced by another woman, just as male legislators are often succeeded by men in committee leadership.

She expressed confidence that Parliament would take the recommendation seriously.

“For example, the International Relations Committee was chaired by a woman. We expect that position to be filled by another woman. That is what we are asking Parliament to do regardless of political party affiliation,” Kwelepeta said.

Apart from the presentation of the Parliamentary Women Caucus statement, Members of Parliament also considered questions directed to various ministries, discussed health-related matters and received reports from parliamentary committees.