As a way of commemorating international women’s day, Malawi Union for Informal Sector (Mufis) conducted an event at Discovery Lodge in Nsanje district.
The participants started the event by matching from Balaka village turnoff going through the market and Go Malawi to Nsanje Discovery Lodge where there was a workshop.
During the end of match speeches, Mufis asked the stakeholders to empower women economically so that they can venture into small scale businesses to uplift their living standards.
In her speech, Gladys Mponda, Vice President for Mufis said that the organization contributed in growth of women in leadership, business, savings and credit, negotiations, gender, HIV/AIDS, collective bargaining and dialogue, human rights and many more.
She also said that women need to be assisted financially to grow their businesses or start new businesses since there is a very big difference between men and women.
“We are hoping that the councils will bring special guidelines that will help in distributing money to these women from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)”
Said Mponda
Mponda also added that in the country women and girls became the victims of gender based violence because they are usually economically unstable which makes them fail to defend themselves.
Agreeing with Mponda, Maria Lazalo, Chairperson for Mufis in Nsanje district said that women can help to foster the country’s development if they are given access to financial assistance and she appealed to the government and organizations who have access to support to contemplate them so that they can start to engage themselves in different economic activities.
Lazalo also asked Nsanje district council to help the vendors by building shelters and make sure that sanitation and hygiene in different markets across the district is in line with human health requirements.
Meanwhile, Mponda agreed with Lazalo by requesting new markets in Mthawira, Chididi turnoff, Bangula, Ngabu and Marka.
“Constructing these markets will not only be benefitting the vendors by giving them shelter, but also the council will be benefitting more since they will be collecting market fees in each market”
Mponda Said.
Mponda also requested for Child care centers, nursery schools, under five clinics as well as health Centers in all the markets so that people who are doing businesses in the marketplaces might have access to those social services at any time.
Meanwhile, Nsanje district council Chairperson councilor Mike Kafalachi assured the women in the district that they will use any means necessary to support women in the district.
The day was also a double celebration to the organizations members from the district since they also received a trophy for being the district which had done very good in terms of organizing.
The event was amongst other people, attended by senior district council officials, Senior Chiefs, Traditional Authorities, Councilor, Area Development Committee Chairperson, Officer-in-Charge of Police, civil society organisations and the representative of the Member of Parliament.The event was held under the theme Invest in women: Accelerate progress in the informal sector.
