Government decries women participation in peace processes
The Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has expressed concern over women participation in peace negotiations and decision making.
Chief Director in the Ministry, Chimwemwe Banda, said time has come for women to be in the forefront in peace negotiations in the country
“Most peace missions do not adequately address the specific needs of women. There is need for more women in the country to be participating in peace negotiations, including disaster relief and recovery and prevention of gender-based violence,” Banda said.
She was speaking at a Women in Peace-building conference held in Lilongwe.
Banda disclosed that the government has approved the National Peace Policy which is aimed at establishing an exclusive and gender sensitive national peace architecture with representation at national and district levels.
Civil Society Taskforce on National Peace Architecture Coordinator, Ronny Mkomba, said women peace-building fora are an ideal tool for peace-building in the country.
In the year 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a rule, called UNSCR 1325, in order to support women’s active involvement in peace-building and to deal with problems of sexual violence in conflicts and disaster affected areas.
Malawi has been at peace since independence in 1964.
The 2017 Global Peace Index ranked Malawi number 48 out of 163 countries. In Africa, Malawi is ranked seventh out of 44 countries.
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