BY UCHIZI MBANGE
Ex-Malawi leader Joyce Banda has pointed out that as long as women continue to remain economically unstable, the fight against gender-based violence is a non-starter.
Speaking during the Zokonda Amai Mothers’ Day get-together in the lakeshore district of Mangochi on Saturday – organised by the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) – Banda said women’s economic empowerment is key as far as gender-based violence is concerned.
She said: “A lot of women in Malawi are being abused at home, and this can be blamed on women’s poor economic status. We should be aware that gender-based violence is an economic issue which affects women and children.
“As such, we need to start putting in place policies that empower women to take up opportunities in the macro-economic space.”
According to Banda, for women to excel in their economic endeavors they need to work in partnerships to increase their collective potential.
“Working in partnerships increases chances of meeting requirements set for suppliers by the government and private sector players.
“Let us form cooperatives and challenge men in businesses. When working together, we can have the capital muscle to fulfil some of the local business requirements. Working as individuals will not give us the advantage over men,” she said.
