Mw Govt To Strengthen Partnership With Women Organizations: Hosts WUCWO Conference

Dr. Mary Shawa

Malawi Government says will continue to strengthen is partnership with church and its women organizations in order to address socio-economic challenges facing women and children in the country.

Principle Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Dr. Mary Shawa said this when officially announcing the hosting of the 9^th Africa Region, World Union of Catholic Womens’ Organisations (WUCWO) Conference which begins today 30^th August to 4^th September, 2016 in Lilongwe.

The Government of Malawi in collaboration with the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) is hosting WUCWO conference at Bingu International Conference Centre with theme: Women of Africa Proclaimers of God’s Mercy: “Come and See the man who told me everything I did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4 verse 29)

Shawa said women organisations are always present in very remote rural areas hence partnership with Government will assist in complementing Government efforts in implementing some programmes and projects that can address some of the problems facing women and children.

“We can achieve a lot only if the church and the Government work together as a team.” She said, (For example Catholic Women Organisation is present from Nsanje to Chitipa, so they go down to the remotest areas and if these are empowered, we can reduce, early marriages, we can reduce HIV/AIDS transmission, we can reduce the trafficking on children and women, but even the killings and exhumation of persons with albinism.”

“I think we can do a lot together as a team than Government doing it own its own.” She stressed

Shawa said there has been a delink between Government and faith organisaions in the past, but at the moment her ministry is working with all faith women organizations, from various denominations.

The focus of the WUCWO conference is the implementation of the outcomes of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union Agenda 2063 “The Africa we want,” and the high level outcome on HIV and AIDS.

The topical areas to be covered include: The phenomenon of street women, children and trafficking in Africa; African women or youth Agents of Dialogue, Justice and Peace, a key to a prosperous Africa; Climate Change; Access to drinking water and sanitation is a human right among others.

Speaking on the WUCWO conference Shawa said Government of Malawi and ECM recognize that the conference is crucial for the global, African and national development agenda both physically and spiritually.

“The work of faith based organisations such as the Catholic Church complement government effort in the development agenda. It is against this background that the government is very committed to work with ECM, WUCWO and CWO to achieve the goals of the conference, implement the outcome strategy and follow up programming.” She added

The Conference is expected to open with the Holy Eucharistic Celebration on 31^st August at CIVO Stadium in Lilongwe where His Excellency Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika will grace the opening.  And the conference will end on 4^th September with a mass to be graced by Her Excellency Dr. Gertrude Mutharika, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi at BICC.

Over 150 international and 350 local delegates will attend the conference.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of ECM the Very Rev. Fr. Henry Saindi said the WUCWO conference is very important not to Catholic Women only “but to women in general”

Mrs. Rosaline Menga Nganku,
Regional African President
and Vice President of WUCWO
Executive Committee

Mrs. Rosaline Menga Nganku, Regional African President and Vice President of WUCWO Executive Committee said the conference will make concrete resolutions which each member organisations will implement back home.

She also noted that the conference in Malawi will celebrate the Golden Jubilee and described Malawi as a “blessed” country for being the host and leading celebrations for the jubilee

She also expressed gratitude that Malawi Government has decided to join the hosting of the conference and said the conference will benefit all states of Africa since the topics to be discussed are societal oriented.

Last conference of this nature was held in 2003 in Nigeria but it is held every four years.