Chilenje appointed Malawi’s women in parliament ambassador

Malawi’s First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Esther Mcheka Chilenje, has been appointed ambassador for the Parliamentary Global Forum (PGF).

She told Nyasa Times in a telephone interview from Addis Ababba, where the Women in Parliament Global Annual Summit 2015 took place from March 23-26, that she will use her position to “champion issues do with women rights in Malawi and across the world.”

She has since called on countries world over to empower women so that they are at par with men.

“If women are empowered as political leaders, countries are bound to experience higher standards of living and foster useful developments that can be manifested in many sectors of development such as education and agriculture,” said Chilenje.

She added: “Research has shown that participation of women in politics has produces tangible gains in democratic governance, increase in ethnic and party cooperation and more importantly sustainability of peace.”

Chilenje said that in Malawi, for instance, she will engage extra gear in promoting sex-balance leadership in parliament by ensuring that the leader and his or her deputy are of different sexes.

“For me that would influence better women representation in high positions,” she said.

Chilenje also said she will support women legislators through advice and training so that they have well-informed knowledge on the functionalities of the institution of parliament and how the women parliamentarians can act as role models to the girl child.

She also said she would make sure that girls are well represented in the ‘Youth Parliament of Malawi.’

“This will help raise confidence in future female legislators by identifying potential female candidates and supporting them throughout campaign periods,” explained Chilenje.

She also said she will also lobby with the Malawi government to reserve certain positions for women in the society.

Chilenje urged the country’s MPs, through the meet, to be agents of change.