Newly minted Water and Sanitation minister Abida Mia who President Lazarus Chakwera promoted from a deputy minister to full minister has applauded the Malawi leader for giving women a chance to shine their light in serving the Malawian people and be part of the process of taking the country forward.
Mia, who is a Member of Parliament for Chikwawa Mkombedzi, in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times hailed President Chakwera for appointing more women into his cabinet.
Water and Sanitation minister Abida Sidik Mia
Said Mia: “Firstly, let me express my gratitude and appreciation to President Chakwera for trusting me and other women with such a huge responsibility to serve him in the service of the Malawian nation.
“This is a great honour for me as I love serving the people of Malawi and for this I pledge to serve the president and the Malawian people with loyalty.”
President Chakwera has also been lauded by a cross-section of the society and the international community for appointing 12 female ministers and 18 male ministers into his cabinet representing 40 percent of women 60 percent men.
Chakwera is being commended hiring more women into cabinet than any president in the history of Malawi.
“President Chakwera has given us, women, a chance and a platform than any leader in Malawi has done before, to show our abilities and capabilities and to shine our light as we serve the people of Malawi.
“I am so grateful to President Chakwera for letting us women be part of the development agenda,” Mia said.
Chakwera, in appointing 12 women and 18 men into his cabinet has complied with Section 11 (1) of the Gender Equality Act.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has also applauded the appointment of the new cabinet of 12 women and 18 men, 40 percent women and 60 percent men with utter satisfaction.
Chakwera has promoted Abida Mia from deputy minister of Lands into full ministry of Water and Sanitation and has also elevated Vera Kamtukule from deputy minister of Labour into a full minister.
In a statement signed by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) chairperson, Scader Louis, the Commission congratulates Chakwera for meeting the gender quota of not less than 40 percent and not more than 60 percent of either sex in such appointments saying out of 12 women, 6 are holding the position of Minister.
The MHRC, however, sadly observes that there is youth and Persons with disabilities exclusion in the cabinet despite government’s commitment to inclusion in the National Youth Policy of the National Policy on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
“The Commission’s hope that Government will ensure that as a country we give prominence to substantive equality as espoused by our domestic, international and regional legal frameworks of which Malawi is party to including Sustainable Development Goal number 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” reads the Commission’s statement in part.
Other female ministers’ in Chakwera’s cabinet include, ministers; Patricia Kaliati, Agnes Nyalonje, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Nancy Tembo and Jean Muonaomuuza Sendeza,
Chakwera also hired the following as Deputy ministers; Madalitso Kambauwa Wilima, Nancy Chaola Mdoka, Halima Daud, Agnes Mkusa Nkhoma, Monica Chang’anamuno.
