Women’s Movement plans demos on Friday over lack of gender in boards

Gender Coordination Network-GCN and Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC)  have announced demonstrations slated for this Friday over President Lazarus Chakwera’s failure to include more women in parastatal boards.

The organizations say the demonstrations will be held in all the three cities.

The organizations are dismayed by Chakwera’s sentiments who on Monday challenged women’s rights activists to produce a list of skilled women who qualify to be placed in parastatal boards.

r Chakwera who was responding to questions at a press conference to mark 100 days in the country’s highest office said he should be given more time to include more women on the positions in question.

However, the sentiments have irked the organizations who have since described it as a lame excuse hence writing the Inspector General informing him of their plans to hold peaceful demonstrations on Friday October 9, 2020.

The letter which has been signed by NGO-GCN’s Barbra Banda and WOLREC’s Maggie Kathewera Banda, indicates that the organizations are defending and safeguarding rule of law on the appointments of board members.

“This letter serves to notify you about our intention to hold peaceful demonstrations, against low number of women in many newly appointed boards and no woman in 10 boards.

“This is not only in line with our constitutional right to demonstrate but further it is our duty to defend, safeguard the rule of law. The demonstrations will take place on Friday 9th October, 2020 from 10:00AM to 1:00PM. Demonstrations will be held in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu,” reads part of the letter.

The letter indicates that demonstrators in Lilongwe will parade from Kamuzu Central Hospital round about to Parliament while in Blantyre they will parade from old town hall through Chipembere highway to Kamuzu Stadium and in Mzuzu they will parade from Katoto Secondary school ground to Mzuzu city council.