Kaliati Dedicates SADC Gender Protocol Award to Malawians

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Hon Patricia Kaliati says her Gender Protocol Award came from support which Malawians are earnestly giving to Government programmes and initiatives on gender. 

Last month, Hon. Kaliati received an award of excellence in the acceleration of gender protocols in the Southern Africa Development (SADC) region. 

But speaking in an interview, the Gender Minister, noted that Malawians have played a significant role to her achievement of being SADC region driver of change in acceleration of gender related issues.

Hon Kaliati said Malawians are supporting Government in its effort of achieving gender equality, ending gender based violence, poverty, security, peace among others which her ministry is coordinating.

She therefore said such support has given her a muscle to be active on Gender issues in the country.

Kaliati Receive present from hon Nankhumwa 

“We have done well as a country because of all this support. I feel good for this recognition but I also give back to the nation as well as to all Malawian women for their support” said Kaliati

“And I also salute the media for tirelessly exposing gender issues happening in our country and informing the nation and beyond the borders of number of initiatives that Malawi is doing on gender. It is my prayer that the media will continue informing the nation as well as across the borders of what we are doing here in SADC region” she added

The Gender Minister further noted with appreciation, the support and political will which State President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has for the country to achieve gender protocols.

“Our President, champion of He for She Campaign has placed a focus on gender and women empowerment in number of programmes. President Mutharika has signed into law, number of legislations that promotes gender and women empowerment as well as on child protection. His directives and encouragements have made Malawi a shining star in SADC and that has contributed to my success of winning this award.” Kaliati explains

She then asked all Malawians to work together in the promotion of Gender related issues for the common good of Malawian woman and child for the country to continue register outstanding achievements on gender in SADC region.

PDC Colors Kaliati’s SADC Gender Award

Nankhumwa presenting gift to Kaliati

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Patriotic Cadets (known as PDC), celebrates with Honorable Patricia Kaliati for her outstanding achievement of winning SADC Gender Protocol Award.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati won an award of excellence for her involvement in the acceleration of gender protocols in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region.

Kaliati posing with other members (left Cecilia
Chazama)

To show their happiness, PDC members organized a special party for hon Kalitati landmark recognition in the SADC region.

The event which took place in Lilongwe on Sunday, included gift presentation to hon Kaliati.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Kondwani Nankhumwa said Kaliati deserve such an award because of her efforts in mainstreaming gender issues in the country.

He said, receiving an award from SADC is a clear testimony of her great achievements

"You haven't achieved this on silver platter, but it also took your listening ear to advices from President Mutharika" added Nankhumwa

Hon Nankhumwa further asked hon. Kaliati to continue working hard in promoting issues of gender.

Speaking earlier, chairperson for the organizing committee for the event, Andrew Chapola also commended hon Patricia Kaliati for her relentless efforts in promotion of gender in the country especially on making sure that women are not looked down in society.

"We are very proud of you!" said Chapola, "you have done us proud and you are a role model" he added

The event brought together PDC members from all regions across the country including, Principle Secretary for the Presidential Initiative on Safe Motherhood, Chimwemwe Chipungu, Deputy Secretary General for DPP, Hon Cecilia Chazama and Special Assistant to President, Dr. Ben Phiri.

Mw Govt Introduce Free Vocational Training For People With Disability

Kaliati (middle)

Persons with disability aged 16 and above holding the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) need not to hesitate from applying for a fully funded scholarship into various vocational training skills.

Malawi Government through Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has introduced a special technical and vocational skills training for persons with disability.

Minister Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati disclosed in Lilongwe that her ministry will offer the training in conjunction with Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocation Education and Training Authority (TEVETA).

Kalitati said the scholarship is free and asked everyone to inform and encourage those that are qualified to apply and submit their application directly to the Ministry of Gender offices or to TEVETA not later than 20th August 2015.

"My Ministry and Technical Entrepreneur and Vocational Education Training Authority (TEVETA) has come up with an affirmative action to promote access to vocation skills training for persons with disability using existing public technical colleges.

"I am pleased to report that TEVETA has reservation of 20 places for persons with disabilities in its scholarship programme in all the public technical colleges." Said Kaliati

"For the offer to be effectively utilized persons with required qualifications needs to be informed" said Kaliati while indicating that applications be submitted to her ministry offices or to TEVETA.

The available opportunities includes; Administrative Studies, Automobile Mechanics, Brick Layering, Food Production, Carpentry and Joinery, Electrical Installation, IT, Tailoring and Designing.

Hon Kaliati said this initiative is Government vision of creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and further responds to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

Kaliati, noted with concern that person with disabilities continue to fail to access to training opportunities in some vocation training centres due to financial challenges, negative attitude by the society and lack of knowledge among persons with disability on available training opportunities.

"Some schools would not accept person with disability because they think that such persons will slow down the learning process of other participants." Said Kaliati

Then she underlined that such initiatives and mainstreaming disability services into all programmes enable people with disability to take their place as sitizens on equal basis with others and make their contributions to society.

She further guarantees Malawi Government commitment to continue implementing various initiatives that promote rights of people with disabilities and that her ministry with TEVETA will keep on introducing number of informal training programmes for those that do not have school qualifications.

Hon Kaliati also appealed to people with disabilities who do not have qualifications to utilize and take advantage of Community Technical Colleges that are being established in their districts.

Malawi Govt Revamps Secondary School Bursary for Girls

• Govt to target only Utra-poor girls from all constituencies and names of beneficiaries to be verified
• Global fund is ready to revamp the project

Hon Kaliati

Secondary School Bursary for girls to revamp says Malawi Government. 

The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) bursary will be one way of promoting girl child secondary school education and ending early marriages.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honorable Patricia Kaliati confirmed that plans are underway and probably in September this year, the programme will rollout.

She said government wants to invigorate efforts to keep girls at school and estimates that roughly 80 girls from utra-poor families per constituency will benefit from project.

Currently Malawi girls from poor families face number of challenges in their education, as such; most school dropout statistics shows more girls leave school at each level of education and right away from primary school.

But one of the common hindrances to their secondary school studies is school fees, if they can’t afford then end up in marriage.

In an effort to keep more girls at school and finish their studies, Malawi Government is taking further step in girl child education by revamping school bursary to all girls from utra-poor families.

According to Kaliati, Malawi Government has partnered with Global Fund to revamp a Gender Equality and Women Empowerment GEWE Bursary. However, she did not indicate the amount of money and period to which the programme will last once it kicks off.

She said plan to restore the project is underway after Global Fund Chief Executive pledged the commitment at the recent meeting with Malawi Government in South Africa.

“We met with Global Fund Chief Executive and he has promised that they are going to revamp the programme and will start paying bursaries for school fees for utra-poor and this is what we are looking forward to be doing” said Kaliati

Kaliati said GEWE Bursary which stopped some years ago, helped a lot of secondary school girls to finish their studies.

The Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Minister observed that such assistance to girls is the right direction to supplement number of government efforts in ending early marriages and school dropouts among girls.

She said the GEWE bursary will greatly support Malawian girls from utra-poor families who struggle in their daily life to access to secondary education.

Hon Kaliati has assured that the existing structures will be used identify the deserving girls from each constituency across the country 

“It is the same as we used to do in the past where we asked members of parliament to submit to social welfare names of those who are struggling to get school fees.” She said

Social Welfare, child protection, will verify the identified beneficiaries she said; “What we are looking for is utra-poor” she emphasized “We will therefore empower social welfare to go back to constituencies to assess whether the names are indeed for the utra-poor” said Kaliati

Malawi Celebrates Day for African Child: We are Ending Child Marriages- Kaliati

Hon Patricia Kaliati 

Malawi Government says positive strides are being made in ending early child marriages which are helping young girls to stay at school.

Gender, Children and Disability Social Welfare Minister said this as the country prepares  for the commemoration for the Day for African Child on 30th June in Ngabu, Chikwawa district.

The Day for African Child is commemorated every 16th of June annually but Malawi will commemorate the day on 30th June, under the theme "Accelerate Our Efforts to  End Child Marriages" 

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati says government finds this year's theme more fit in Malawi agenda to end early child marriages particulary among young girls. She said there are now positive indicators that Malawi is on the right track to achieve end of various forms of child abuse and child marriages particularly among girls who are the prime victims.

She said Malawi has enacted a number of legislations that criminalise marriage before child attain the age of 18 such as Marriage Divorce and Family Relations Act and Trafficking in Persons Act that were passed and assented recently.

She said such legislations are helping government protecting young girls from becoming young brides, "We have number of legislations which we have in the country of protecting the girl child and leave the girl child in school up to time she finishes school and also getting married at the age of 18”

Hon Kaliati

She said together with number of partners, efforts are being made in mobilising resources for child protection and securing future for girls among other interventions and activities. Kaliati mentioned  number of child protection programes such as school feeding programme, cash transfer programmes, re-admission of girls at school, and construction of girl hostels are helping Malawi children to stay at school.

The Minister added that some interventions that encourages reporting of child abuse cases as well as community bylaws that criminalise early marriages have helped to reduce cases of child abuses and other forms of harrasment among girls 

Kaliati also hailed the media for well coverage of issues of child related violence which is helping the Ministry to identify cases and act upon them. She called for collaborated efforts among chiefs, police, judiciary and parents and guardians in ending practices that encourages early marriages and report such cases to police and relevant authorities.

At Ngabu, the Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children which will run from 2015 to 2019 containing a situation analysis of 2013 will be launched. According to the Gender Minister, the report finds that there are 1.8 million Malawi vulnerable children.

Research Shows Social Cash Transfer Programme Is Supporting Utra-poor Households

Government says positive strides are being registerd in the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) observed since its introduction in 2006.

The programme targets 10% ultra-poor and labour constrained families in the national population.

It has an objective of improving resilience and the quality of life of the poor to move out of poverty and vulnerability through increase in school enrolment and attendance, improve health and nutrition of children as well as reducing poverty and hunger among the target group.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare honorable Patricia Kaliati says a recent evaluation by Boston University and Centre for Social Research at Chancellor College has shown that the programme currently reaching out to 104,908 households has met its objectives. 

Hon Kaliati says now supported families are among others able to engage in small scale businesses, employ labour in their field as well as have improved nutritional and health status.

"The Social Cash Transfer Programme is effective and has born remarkable impact on the utra-poor and labour constrained houses holds." 

"We have registered improvements in school enrollment and attendance from both primary and secondary school. We have seen people building good houses out of benefits from cash transfer programme, and also these families are able to eat two meals a day." Says Kaliati

Currently the programme is in 18 out of 28 districts in the country and the minister assured that in two year time the government plans to spread it into the remaining districts.

The programme provides monthly cash transfers to the households calculated based on the households structure plus the number of school going children in the beneficiary households.

Cash transferred to household beneficiaries includes school bonus for each child enrolled in primary and secondary school for school related materials such as uniform, notebooks pens and other materials. However the minister has revealed that the transfers provided to beneficiaries is being reviewed to an average of K4,500 per household per month based on cost of living which is yet to be approved.

SCTP is being implemented with financial support from Malawi government, German Government, Irish Government, European Union and World Bank.