Civil Society Organizations in Malawi have today launched the women’s manifesto which highlights eleven major issues such as health, education, economic empowerment and politics.
The women’s manifesto is meant to ensure that political parties include issues of women in their manifestos in order to improve their lives and for the women to also benefit from the development of the country.
Speaking with reporters ,Women Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) Maggie Kathewera Banda said political parties need to take into consideration some of the main issues that women want them to do after being elected into various positions.
On the issue to do with education, Banda made it clear that women demand political parties to improve school infrastructure by building durable and quality schools every 2km for primary schools and every 5km for secondary schools.
“On health, the women’s manifesto request the allocation of 15 percent of the national budget to the health sector in line with the Abuja declaration,” she explained.
On economic empowerment, women want the next government to enforce and implement economic policies, establish women’s fund by 2019 as well as women’s bank by 2020 and create a conducive environment which guarantee women’s access to capital and skills training development.
Apart from that, women’s manifesto demand other issues such as improvement in agriculture, water, women leadership and governance, justice, social, environment and end of violence against women.
The women have called on political parties to act on the demands after the May 21 Tripartite Elections.
