Kaliati launches Beijing+20 Malawi review process
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati, has called on stakeholders to scale up implementation of gender mainstreaming and women empowerment programmes at all levels.
Speaking during the launch in Lilongwe, Kaliati said since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platforms for Action was adopted at the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, issues have emerged which were not included in the subsequent five year review.
She said Malawi has achieved a lot since the country launched its own National Platform for Action to implement the Beijing Platform for Action by setting up four priorities including poverty alleviation and economic empowerment, the girl child, violence against women and peace.
“Some of the achievements Malawi has made include the adoption and implementation of the first National Gender Policy in 2000; law reform through the special law commission on the review of gender laws; setting up and making operational the national gender machinery which is implementing gender mainstreaming and women empowerment programs,” Kaliati said.
In her remarks, United Nations Women Representative in the country, Alice Shackelford, said the United Nations is privileged to continue working with Malawi in her quest to fulfill the commitments in the gender equality and women empowerment made at various international and local levels.
Shackelford said gender equality has always been part of Malawi highlighting the original Constitution of 1994 which has gender equality and women rights articles.
UN women and UNFPA have provided the technical and financial support for the Beijing+20 review process.—Mana
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