CCJP Asks Mutharika To Add More Women In His Cabinet

CCJP Asks Mutharika To Add More Women In His Cabinet

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (CCJP) has asked government to live up to its promise of putting more women into decision making positions.

Out of 20 Cabinet Ministers in current administration has three female; Jean Kalirani Minister of Health, Grace Obama Chiumia Minister of Youth and Sport and Patricia Kaliati Minister of Gender Children, Disability and Social Welfare.

The commission in its statement which is outlining number of problems that Malawi is experiencing says is not happy with the current cabinet of only three female ministers.

The statement which has been signed by Mr. Chris Chisoni CCJP National Secretary on December 6, 2014 has asked President Prof. Peter Mutharika, to commit himself to promise made in his inaugural speech that his government will promote gender equality.

“It is sad that only few women have been appointed in leadership positions. For example out of 20 cabinet ministers 3 only are women. We think there must be a deliberate affirmative action for women leadership in various governance systems and structures than it is the case now.” Reads the statement

Mutharika asked to put women in his cabinet
and stop making appointments without consultations

“We therefore implore the state leadership to proactively consider social inclusion, women participation, and maintenance of the doctrine of the separation of powers and roles in sustaining the consolidation of democracy in our country.”

The statement is also asking government to stop appointing people without making consultations because this leaves people with questions of the seriousness of the appointing authority as well as its legitimate expectations from the appointed people.

CCJP in the statement also consider recent appointments of advocates on development and human rights and faith leaders to have crippled the conscious of the civil society and faith based movement in Malawi.

CCJP has further requested government to stop redeployment of people because it is causing cases of two people being paid on the same post when the other one is just doing nothing. The commission further also bemoaned that some are being redeployed to departments which do not match their skills or career path and this is resulting in wasting tax payer’s money and misallocation of human resource.

Noting numerous labour related strikes currently under way and others in the offing, CCJP while acknowledging the right of employees to a just and fair wage, encourages engagement and dialogue between employers and employees to resolving their differences.

But CCJP says as government is riddled with acute shortage of financial resources, striking staff should realise that government has a weaker capacity at the moment. However, CCJP asks government and its other departments like state houses, and judiciary to be exemplary in their appetite for spending and living in luxurious life as it is “unfair and unjust” to deny increments of salaries elsewhere and in another approve rapid changes to salaries.

CCJP comprising of CCJP National, CCJP Chikwawa, Arch diocese of Blantyre, Zomba, Mangochi, Dedza, Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Karonga gathered on 2^nd, December 2014, at Msamba Pastoral Centre in Lilongwe to reflect numerous challenges being experienced by Malawians today.

During the reflection CCJP on socio-economic and living context of Malawi noted that the lives of most Malawians 6 months after the tripartite elections is a mixed bag of joys and sorrows that CCJP seeks from various stakeholders to take a correct and proactive interventions to ameliorate the suffering and the agonies of the people.

The statement has also asked Malawi citizens to exercise patriotism and responsibility in among others curbing corruption and ending deforestation.