Addressing Issues that affect women and girls through the electoral process and local governance

Malawi went to tripartite elections on 20th May, 2014. The electoral period is when the candidates market themselves to the would be voters so that they could be selected come the elections. During this period the candidates make a lot pledges to address issue that negatively affect the citizenry. Usually some of these are satisfied while most remain unsatisfied by the end of term. Most pledges surround the provision of various social services for instance in the education, agriculture, health and economic sector. The constitution of the republic of Malawi clearly put it that every citizen has a right to access to social services. In most communities in Malawi, because of the gender roles prescribed to women and girls, lack of proper social service providers for instance scarcity of water in the community, no schools, health centres, proper roads in the community, affect negatively women more than men. In such situations women have to cover long distance to fetch water, to reach the nearest school, health centre or even taking too long to reach the nearest service provider due bad road networks. NGO GCN through the project engaged the candidates before the elections to consider having issues that affect women and girls in their campaign manifestos so that these are addressed. The project engaged the citizenry to vote basing on how the candidate will address issues affecting women and girls if elected. This approached was envisaged that it would for provision of better services to the citizenry and women in particular. This in a long ran would contribute towards women and girls accessing their constitution right to social services and achieving the gender equality in the country.

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