Malawi deputy speaker advocates for quota system for women MPs

First Deputy Speaker of Malawi Parliament  Mrs Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma has advocated for quota system for electing women in Parliament as the only key to increase the number of women representation.

Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma in Geneva.
Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma in Geneva.

The deputy speaker was addressing the United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva Switzerland on Sunday (12 October 2014) where she is the leader of Malawi’s delegation of seven Members Parliament and officials.

Chilenje Nkhoma wore a brave face and revealed that most Malawian women  have no financial muscle to compete with male politicians.

“Therefore, Madam Chairperson, affirmative action, and quota system in Malawi should be prerequisites if we are to eradicate some of the challenges facing women in Malawi,” said Mcheka Nkhoma.

Chilenje Nkhoma reiterated on behalf of delegates that  Malawian women are still fighting for the  50/50 representation in decision making positions.

Mcheka Nkhoma said Malawi do not practice affirmative action and  instead the country uses first past the post electoral system when it comes to electing members of parliament.

She said out of 193 strong house only 32 women have made it into parliament the  in the last Tripartite Elections.

Nkhoma said that Malawi has  3 women as cabinet ministers in the government out of 20 ministers .

The deputy speaker said although parliament women caucus group strive to champion issues that concern women, male parliamentarians are also so supportiv.

“For example, Malawi parliament managed to pass bill on gender based violence and other bills concerning women so let me emphasise that we need a strong political will to support women because research so far has found that Constituencies which have women representation find that most of social basic needs such as water, roads, food and shelter are addressed,” said Mcheka

Chilenje revealed to the UN that there are several factors which contribute for the low representation in Parliament saying that low women education levels is a major problem in Malawi saying

“52 % of  the population in Malawi are women but the women remain the least educated and this puts them at a great disadvantages politically and the electoral system of first past the post does not seem to favour women,” said Mcheka Nkhoma.

According to Mcheka Nkhoma, culturally, the Malawi society in general does not accept political leadership of women.

Another challenge according to s Mcheka Nkhoma that women faces during the elections is that most women do not have the economic muscle to favourably compete with men during political campaigns.

In the 1994 to 1999 first democratic parliament there were only 9 women MPS out of 177 MPs (5%) that was during Dr Bakili Muluzi regime and in 1999 to 2004, Parliament had 14 women MPS out of 193 MPS representing only 7% while in 2004 to 2009 that was during Bingu wa Mutharika regime, Malawi Parliament had only 26 women MPs representing 13% and in 2009 to 2014 the Malawi Parliament had 43 women MPS representing 22%  and lastly in the 2014 to 2019 only 32 women have made it to the  House representing 16%.

On Monday the First Deputy speaker made another Paper presentation in the General Assembly in the IPU Conference on the achieving Equality ending violence against women.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
31 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Aferazao
Aferazao
9 years ago

Why do women always want to belekedwa? They have made so much noise on gender equity, Why can they not now do a lone fight to hold position on their own merit. No quota business period.

Jere
Jere
9 years ago

Basi?Kunyamula mutu wanu,kuukweza ndege,kukupatsani mpando mutu uli mmwamba ndikungolakatulapo za quota.Malawi ndi Southern region yake,koma guys,where are we taking this country to?Basi,kulipira 2 million ya ndege….mutu uli ndengu ndengu,kukasaka support ya quota?I thought you fought for gender,and we are equal in everything?Now gender siinakwaneyi,komanso quota pa ma elections.Koma anthu kumeneko sanaseke?Malawi kumvetsa chisoni!The only thing we can export to the world is the evil in quota system?

bongololo
9 years ago

Quort system is the best in Malawi

johnM
johnM
9 years ago

I think in Malawi, a lot has been done to promote the plight of women. It is up to the women to take advantage of the opportunities that have been made available to them and not request for more favours.

You can’t put in place quota for elections because that would be going against the will of the people as it would entail that candidates would be forced on the constituency. That would be undemocratic

Omchekachilenje
Omchekachilenje
9 years ago

aaaaaaaaaaa this is non starter. anthu azivotera yemwe akumufuna. kenako muyamba kubweretsa quota yakuti 50/50 ya kufunsirana mabanja.

Cgi mzimu
Cgi mzimu
9 years ago

Inu anthu amene mukuchita comment za Dzina la Nkhoma ndinu Mbuli komanso zitsilu Kwambili Esther asiya bwanji Dzina la Nkhoma pamene palibe proper divorce Kennedy has not followed legal divorce procedudure he Forged and got a fake divorce paper which is not Valid.Let Kennedy follow a proper divorce process so that Esther stops using his name.Ife tikudziwa Kuti Kennedy ndi Hule akuopa Kulipila chonde Ummasule mkazi wabwinoyu ,wokongola ife timukwatile Krnnedy ndi Galu Wabodza Kwambili amangofuna kumuonongela mbili Esther mkazi wooopa Mulungu and She is a Successful woman! Koma Wagwanayo Dziko lonse limadziwa Kuti Kenedy ndi mwamuna wozunza akazi Chifukwa… Read more »

Mr.Bambo
Mr.Bambo
9 years ago
Reply to  Cgi mzimu

Forgery is a serious crime in Malawi.If indeed bwana Nkhoma dared to forge the divorce papers or certificate let somebody commence with the citizen arrest procedures

dadaboma
dadaboma
9 years ago

Senas and Lomwes are addicted to Quotas. They can’t fight to win or earn anything. They are cowards in every way. They fear competition and want good things come their way on silver platter. They are not living in the real world – they are living in Utopia. The Real world is about competition, beating others and wining to earn the good things. There is no sweet without sweat, but these people want sweet things without sweating for them. The only thing they know best is getting sweet good things through Quotas, not working or striving for them. Lomwes and… Read more »

Demo
9 years ago
Reply to  dadaboma

Kodi Atumbuka munakhala bwanji? Kuzikonda bwanji, Cabinet akasakhira merit mumati mukufuna quota, sukulu akati tigawane malo, mumati quota is evil .Chenicheni mumafuna chiyani?

MaiMai
9 years ago

Kodi Mayiwa dzina la Nkhoma akulirimbikiranji? Uhule eti? Nkhoma anakusiya kalekale but till now Esther.. mc…nkhoma kukakamira bwanji????

Komanso umbuli mayiyu degree ya agriculture yoberekedwabso sikukuthandizaniyi… eiiish soo dumb…can’t even get what you are saying. …

Odala Tili Odala
Odala Tili Odala
9 years ago

What is equality anyway?

Odala Tili Odala
Odala Tili Odala
9 years ago

Silly idea! Is a woman gonna be in parliament bcoz she is a woman, thats all?

Piper
Piper
9 years ago

What’s the difference if someone can be at university just because they come from the south ??? That’s what quota system is isn’t it ? What were thinking when you were endorsing it ???

Read previous post:
Opportunity Bank Malawi opens Balaka sales office

Hardly a month after launching Agent Banking also known as Banki Mkhonde, Opportunity Bank Malawi (OBM) recently opened a new...

Close