By Maston Kaiya
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Dedza Diocese has embarked on a one-year project whose goal is to enhance participation of women in the 2025 general elections.
Project Officer for CCJP of the Dedza Diocese, Horace Kasudze, told Ntcheu District Executive Committee (DEC) members on Tuesday that, among others, the objective of the project is to increase the knowledge of civic rights and responsibilities among women and empower them to actively participate in the electoral process.
Ntcheu District has one female ward councillor out of fourteen and one female Member of Parliament out of seven.
\”Social-cultural and ethnic factors and intra-party inclusivity are some of the factors that are affecting women participation in politics,\” said Kasudze.
Kasudze said CCJP highlighted that 81 percent of expected registration was achieved in 2019, citing 56 percent being female and 44 percent being male.
He said the organisation has organised district multi-stakeholder dialogues with the Malawi Electoral Commission, husbands for female aspirants, media organisations, political parties and other stakeholders for increased support for female aspirants.
Ntcheu Principal Gender Officer Phales Chizule commended the project for promoting the representation of women in the 2025 general elections.
\”We are only worried with the project duration which is short and is ending in October before the general elections,” she said.
Chizule said the gender office looks forward to improved coordination in the course of the project implementation and a probability of extension up until the general elections.
She urged other organisations to come and support the women in the district.
CCJP is implementing Enhancing the Participation of Women in the 2025 Malawi General Elections in Ntcheu with funding from the United Nations Development Programme.
