Chakwera has insulted Malawi women, must apologise and change
When confronted to explain his apparent disregard for women in his public appointments, we expected President Lazarus Chakwera to be considerate and, of course, apologetic in his response.
He should have been considerate and apologetic because after disregarding women in his appointments, the last thing we expected from him was another insult towards women.
By saying ‘send me the list of educated women’, Chakwera only exposed his deepest disdain of women—and we know now that this President sees our women as invisibles.
The country has graduated thousands of women in different fields and one of such woman is Chakwera’s wife – a qualified auditor. It must shock you to have a President who goes public playing ignorance to such a fact.
But because this is 2020 not 1672 where women were seen as invisibles the way Chakwera sees them, we will not sit idle and reverse the progress we have made in gender justice.
That is, as Nyasa Times, we support those who will be in streets to demand gender justice from President Chakwera.
Not only that we also believe that the ‘send me a list of educated women’ utterance is purely disrespectful to women, an apparent insult, as such, the President must not just withdraw but also send an apology to the entire nation.
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This article article makes me sick to my stomach. This is what we say”trying to start a storm in a cup of tea. I can see that the writer doesn’t know the meaning of the “insult” .there is no issue here, qualifications matter, that’s all.
The president was 100% right! If you have them, then present them!
The writer must understand the president abit and if he or she has a list of such women provide it before you critisize.Thinking like this is what brings us backwards all the time
It’s a fact that there are more men than women in positions that would provide relevant exposure and experience to offer technical advise to some boards. However there are surely enough of them to at least improve the gender balance on most boards.
The problem is not women. The problem is APM and DPP did a lot of disrespecting of the laws. Now they were voted out so that maybe we can have a leadership that respects the law. Now the law states public appointments shud be 60/40. Actually it doesn’t say 60% men 40% women. Just if 40% is men 60% shud be women. The problem is we put it as a law which means by it serves as a guidance. Azungu who teach us about gender know better and don’t have these things as a law. Whoever decided to make it a law in the gender act or wherever it’s found is the problem. Now to say there are no educated women is indeed an insult because 40% of board members means about 160 women only. If there is no listnof educated men then there shud be no list of educated women. There are more thousands of women more educated than some of the men on these boards. How educated is Caesar Fatch if that’s the standard of board members. So if you promise to follow the law, follow the law or just be like APM and be stubborn and arrogant and not make false promises of rule of law.
Whilst there is need to observe gender equality, I suppose the President is looking for a team that he expects to deliver results in the short term with his bid for a second term in mind. He has little room to entrust rookies at this moment in time to run ‘poisoned’ parastatals with a history, in most cases, of a myriad of past political entanglements. The inexperienced should be humble enough to be mentored with a vision to take over the reigns in future. Wanting to straightaway dive into the deep end will only help damage the future progression of those involved. Remember Chakwera’s presidency will be judged especially on how the parastatals deliver. To just pick inexperienced people simply for the sake of satisfying the quota will be counterproductive and suicidal. I personally believe public appointments should first and foremost be merit based before gender considerations otherwise this will be discrimination against the male gender. Anyway, since the President is reported to have asked for a list of the qualified women, why can’t the organisers of the planned demonstration compile the list and hand it over and ‘shame’ him, so to speak, if indeed they strongly believe these qualified women do exist? Mind you it is not enough to simply have an academic qualification, experience on the ground is very vital and makes the difference.
Muchedwa nazo izi aaaa, zitayeni
Which part of the statement does the writer not understand when the President said “bring me the list of educated women….”?
I think tikuvutika ndi maganizo a olemba, this is the writer’s personal opinion and not necessarily derived from the statement.
Honestly pinning down Chakwera on trivial matters of gender is foolishness. Chakwera has not made a mistake at all. This is what most Malawians think except they don’t talk about it because it is not a politically correct statement. Out of a hundred educated Malawians there are only 20 educated women and Chakweras appointments reflects that situation.
Yes , you are right!
Apologise for what? You know what ladies, work hard and EARN your positions just like everyone else. No more yowumba wumba.
Azimayi anu pangani zothetsa uhule pa Sequence, pa Bwandilo, mwa Biwi umu. Pangani zo atsikana aphunzire. You have a lot of work to do not kukhala mu board kuti muzingodya ndalama. Work hard like men and other women do. Usati kuphoda ndi kuvala ma mini. Lekani kudzijambula maliseche kumatumiza Ku zibwezi.
Ife nde tatopa nazo zomakangana nthawi zonse. Azimayi ofuna maudindonu ziwonetsereni passion yanu poyera kuti mumakonda dziko lanu and muli ready kupikitsana ndi azibambo osangoti tipatsidwe maudindo chifukwa ndife azimayi. Mumangolirira maudindo basi. Even mumaofficemu mabwana ambiri achizimayi amakhala ovuta kwabasi. Action iliyonse yomwe junior angapange amawona ngati anthu akumudelera. It’s much easier to approach bwana wamwamuna with your problem than mzimayi. Matama too much. Tima mood tosadziwika bwino.
Azimayi anzanga, tiyeni kusukulu. Zolowa mu board chifukwa choyambitsa nyimbo kuMagule ndi mbili yakale. Let us embrace change.
Agreed
That’s the problem with us Malawians whenever someone shows openness and give access for us to have a say we take advantage of him, munthu wangolowa mboma 3 months we want him to do everything at once wby didn’t they do the same to dipipi government and please my fellow malawian lets to create dictatorship in our leaders lets give him a chance see where he takes us rather than faulting him so soon, its us citizens who employ government leaders through votes we have the power to sack them through a ballot paper
Tiyeni munseu azimayi. Tiki nanu limodzi. Tiyeni tikayende basi
we voted chakwera for development change. HE himself together with SKC, after wide search and cv checking they appointed those people. and they believe those chosen individuals will be catalysis for much awaited developmental change. its not about gifting govt position for the sex of gender, but its academic and experience that are much important.
Very right we need people who can perform not like Jane ansah
It is cadets who are making all this noise. People who do not want to see the country moving forward. Women this, women that…
This is a damn good president that we have ourselves. Let him do his work. He is not ignoring women.
That is the problem with you women, you rush to getting angry that is why you fail miserably to run any institution where you are heading, you think any advice that your subjects give you is an insult, learn to listen to other peoples opinions you will succeed. You only conclude that your subjects amakudelerani, no listen more and talk less.
Its not strange to us Malawian men. Our women whine too much looking for attention even in relationships. They forget life is not about perfection. Its just 3 months and they want everything done at once. Life is a journey and not a competition. Give the president time to work towards equal gender representation as you so desire.
Gender is not a panacea for developing the country.
Inu mumafuna atayankhula kuti chani kwenikweni? Bring your facts against him
Let the said women protest as much as they wish! If the writer of this article is a man, he is doomed and if it’s a woman it’s a serious shame. Musamayambe zinthu zoti simuzikwanitsa. We tried one Joyce Banda to lead the country just to test the capability of a woman and what did we get in return? We’ll mention cash gate later but a dummy she was (sorry to say women, chilungamo chimapweteka). Go and protest. Ngati muli mmabanja I feel for your husbands. Ngati musali, timangodziwiratu!
Jane Ansah was given the opportunity but she messed it up.
She messed up big time and now Seonda White is organising women to demonstrate.
You never even supported JB.
Kuzikonda
very true the same women when Joyce Banda was the first female president , how many of those making noise now supported her by voting her to be on that high office. Be realistic when accusing Dr. Chakwera and Chilima have tried to bring sanity into the boards by having the right people to serve malawians.
were Kamuzu, Muluzi and A PM women. Men have steered this country and they have failed too.
mwaiwala Joyce Banda the chief cashgate
comment yoti ndibweretsereni list ndiyomwe yakuwawani?
Its so pathetic what Malawian women are doing. You cant ran a Country based on Gender. Competency is what is needed.
These female type of people are not ashamed and have nothing to do in their homes…..kaleleni wana kunyumba chifukwa mpaka pano mitu siinayambebe kuyenda…..aliyense opita ku mademo mawa adzimvere chisoni…..bring your names here, bring your list for consideration….can this be an insult……you don’t know an insult……kafunseni a DPP ngati mufuna mudziwe kuti insult ndichiyani…….mumangomva eeeti!!!
Asamatitayire nthawi apa boma likuganiza m’mene anzathu kumidzi angalandilire feteleza otchipa apa……komanso, kuti atsikana amimba angathandizidwe bwanji ndiye tiziganiza za azimayi okhuta mutawuni muno!!!!
Akungofuna zochita basi chifukwa alibe chochita…..kapena mukungofuna a DPP apeze chochita, siziyenda ulendo unotu…..