Civil society organisations in Malawi have commended the country’s strides in gender equality and reducing gender-based violence cases 30 years after adopting the Beijing Platform for Action.
The progress was highlighted during a reflection meeting in Dowa, where human rights organisations in collaboration with government representatives, reviewed achievements in women empowerment and promoting gender equality ahead of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) General Assembly in March this year.
According to Emma Kaliya of the Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, the fight has not been in vain, as different sectors have made significant progress in achieving gender equality.
Kaliya noted that since 1995, when the Beijing Platform for Gender Equality was established, various civil society organisations in the country have been working tirelessly to promote women.
“We can now see women journalists, who take up cameras, top civil servants who are women, top Police officers and women soldiers, the list is endless women are now everywhere,” noted Kaliya.
Hastings Saka of the Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Alliance said while Malawi has made progress in the sector, overdependence on donors poses a threat to sustaining these efforts.
Deputy Director of Gender in the Ministry of Gender, Fred Simwaka said from all the sectors, Malawi has achieved over 50 percent from the Beijing 30 platform.