Mutharika’s new Cabinet angers female lawyers

The Women Lawyers Association of Malawi on Monday afternoon presented a petition to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) seeking President Peter Mutharika to include more women in his cabinet.

Mutharika recently appointed a twenty member cabinet where there are only three women out of the twenty ministers.

Executive Director of Action Aid Malawi, Grace Malela (a lawyer by profession), and other representatives of Women Lawyers are the ones who delivered the petition.

Last week some Civil Society Organisations also delivered a petition to the United Nations offices in Lilongwe, pushing for the removal of President Peter Mutharika as a He-for-She champion,arguing he is not fulfilling his role as a 50/50 campaigner.

Mutharika was appointed a He-for-She champion by the United Nations Headquarters over his ‘commitment’ in promoting gender equality.

The petition by the women lawyers was received by the Chief Secretary to the Government, Lloyd Muhara.