Absence of war does not mean peace – Minister Kalilani

Malawi has a lot of work to do and should engage women to attain peace, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Jean Kalilani said on Friday.

Minister of Gender Dr.Jean Kalilani(second from left) National women in peace building conference at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on Friday.
Minister of Gender Dr.Jean Kalilani(second from left) National women in peace building conference at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on Friday.

Kalilani was speaking in Lilongwe when she opened the National Women in Peace Conference.

She said although Malawi was famed as a peaceful nation with no record of civil strife or war, the country could not boast of having peace with its escalating numbers of gender-based violence (GBV), child molestation and maternal mortality rates, which “are mostly due to teenage pregnancies.”

“According to a National Statistics Office GBV survey report, 130, 000 women experienced domestic violence, of whom 40 per cent have experienced GBV while 30 per cent have experienced physical violence,” Kalilani said.

She said extensively engaging women in pro-peace policies would help in bringing about effective results.

UN Resident Coordinator, Mia Seppo, who was present at the function, commended President  Peter Mutharika and Malawians for recognizing women by appointing them as leaders in decision-making institutions, including the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and Parliament.

Seppo said that women had been appointed to positions that were critical to peace and development not as guests, but rather because they had a proven track record of competency that would help Malawi to develop.

She said women had what she called natural power of urgency and that they were quick to react. She said women ought to be given decision-making positions at peace negotiation discussions.

The conference, which is the first of its kind, is being held under the theme ‘Establishing Women’s Participation in Peace Building: Establishing an Effective Network’.

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wakwiya
7 years ago

Well spoken Mia. Malawian male leaders don’t see what important to have women in leading positions. It’s for nation development. Women play big roll in the society. Men are corrupt. And money power. If a nation have 50% it is very good. Mia knows what she is talking. She comes from where women have been having high positions and has played a big roll in social development than any other nations in Europe

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