WORLEC Trains Chiefs & Development Committees on Women Empowerment

Women’s Legal Resources Centre WORLEC has trained traditional leaders and chairpersons of Area Development Committees ADC’s in Zomba on gender and women empowerment.

Speaking during the training program’s officer for WORLEC in Zomba Magerate Chilongosi said chiefs and ADC’s are crucial in communities’ mindset change towards gender issues and women empowerment.

Chilongosi said they thought of engaging chiefs and ADC representatives because they have capacities of interacting with grass root communities.

“It is our hope that after the meeting chiefs and ADC chairs will play a vital role in advocating for women inclusion in various positions in their communities,’ said Chilongosi

However, he said lack of resources as well as knowledge is key issues which are affecting efforts towards achieving women empowerment.

She said most women have no resources to allow them compete with men in elected positions while others have no knowledge to hold decision making positions in their localities.

On her part senior chief Mlumbe said the workshop has helped her to understand various aspects of gender issues.

” I call upon organizations advocating for women empowerment to organize interface meetings with communities saying this will help communities to fully understand concepts of gender,” Chief Mlumbe said

She then blamed husbands who bar their wives from taking positions because of jealousy, saying this is also retarding efforts of women inclusion in different positions.

WORLEC is implementing a project aimed at empowering women in the districts of Zomba, Blantyre and Nsanje with support from HIVOS.