Activists condemn Mutharika for failing to increase women ministers
Malawi women rights activists are up in arms against President Peter Mutharika for failing to increase the number of women in his 20 member cabinet.
Mutharika has maintained three female ministers in his reshufled cabinet a far cry from the 50:50 female representation.
Jean Kalirani moved from Home Affairs to Gender and Social Welfare where its minister Patricia Kaliati has moved to ministry of information where she will be government spokesperson.
Grace Chiumia has retained her cabinet portfolio at Sports and Culture ministry.
Mutharika has axed a male cabinet minister Allan Chiyembekeza and hired another male minister Aggrey Massi who heads to Transport and Works minister as deputy.
NGO Gender Cordination Network executive director Emma Kaliya described the failure by Mutharika to increase the number of women in the cabinet as shameful and retrogressive.
“This is worrisome and shameful. He just gives lip service on these matters, this is retrogressive,” she said.
Political commentator at Chancellor College Henry Chingaipe said this was surprising because the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) manifesto promises that the party would ensure equity in all appointments including the cabinet.
He said the president appoints people intto the cabinet on political considerations, saying this is why only three cabinet ministers are in the cabinet.
The Republican Consitution gives powers to the state president to appoint cabinet ministers and fire them without giving reasons.
Azimayi kuvulavula nsalu mmutunso chimodzimodzi that is why APM don’t trust ladies, next reshuffle will be only one woman akweni coz she’s a lohmwe.
Malawi needs performing ministers regardless of sex. A progressive individual should therefore analyse the appointment of the members of the new cabinet based on merit. It therefore sounds childish for any learned person to insert the sensitivity of gender into the necessity to steer the country into motion towards the right direction. Mwasowa zonena eti?
O……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………O The issue of anyone feeling disadvantaged hence the need for special consideration or attention for “special” groups (howeverso defined) is not only misguided and ill-advised, but also irritating. What if APM feels comfortable in the company of men than women; should he be forced to choose women for want of balancing gender issues? I believe expertise matters more than gender, religion, tribe, region e.t.c To be honest, more often than not . . . . . . The issue of gender is more about more for women than equality of men and women. That is, if the cabinet had… Read more »
The problem I see here about Kaliya and Chingaipe is the way they understand gender equality. Much as I appreciate that Kaliya is a gender activist, she doesn’t fully understand what it means by gender equality. The understanding of both Kaliya and Chingaipe about gender equality is that there should be equal numbers of women and men. Gender equality means having a representation from both women and men regardless of numbers. The only difference comes in when you talk of gender balance which is totally different from gender equality. So, I am not sure about the problem that Kaliya and… Read more »
APART FROM APPOINTING A MALE DOMINATED MEMBER, PETER MUTHARIKA IS ALSO VERY NEPOTISTIC.
Most Females were not in prison with him
Will back the oldman here. We dont just have to do things for the sake of doing them we are in crisis and need solutions and not kitchen garbage which is just a luxury. Kungofuna potchukira basi.
The activist is short sighted. Muntharika hasnt come up with a new cabinet. He has just shifted (incase she doesnt know the meaning of ‘ reshufle’ ) the incubents. He has maintained same number of men and women. Activist yo akusowa chowapangila azimayi. Ayambitse sex workers NGO kuti azimayi akakhale ndi maudindo ambiri. Ma Director s
si za 50-50 campaign, its about who can perform, Nati azimayi sangakwanise, let them Be in the kitchen
So you wanted the president to include women in the cabinet
just because they are women?????? A mayi Kaliya, I remember you wanted to resign after 2014 elections. You can do that now. Or just be chewing the money ku NGO yanuyo.