Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been advised to take a leading role in promoting the inclusion of women in decision making positions in the country.
Currently, men occupy 76 percent of influential positions in public offices according to a special analysis by the World Bank in its recent Malawi Economic Monitor report.
According to Nkhoma Synod Church and Society, which made the call on Thursday in Blantyre, CSOs should consider gender issues when nominating officials.
Advocacy Officer for the Nkhoma Synod Church and Society, Phoebe Chifungo, said they have held a number of meetings with government officials, advising them to incorporate women in the public sector.
She said their meetings are based on Section 11 of the Gender Equality Act of 2013.
The clause specifies that an appointing or recruiting authority in the public service shall appoint not less than 40 percent and not more that 60 percent of either sex in any department in the public service.
Chifungo said the present situation contradicts the purpose of the act.
“We are sensitising them [CSOs] on the Gender Equality Act. Again, we are reminding them of their role in nominating commissioners in the oversight bodies. Because most of them don’t know and in the end, they tend to blame authorities when women have not been included. It is their role to nominate,” she said.
According to the World Bank report, as of 2015, the public service had about 42, 700 women, representing 24 percent of total civil servants.
Deputy Director Responsible for Gender Mainstreaming in the Department of Human Resource and Management, Martha Mtenje, said they have plans to review the Public Service Act in order to offer a conducive environment for women in the public sector.
“If you look at the Gender Equality Act, it is complementary to the public service in the sense that it upholds the merit based principle. But we need other supporting structures that will give a basis in terms of implementing the Gender Equality Act in the public sector,” she said.
About 23 CSOs came together at the forum, which was organised by Nkhoma Synod Church and Society with financial assistance from the Tilitonse Fund.
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