Masangwi disowns own statement on VP

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regional governor for the south Noel Masangwi has challenged the civil society to produce evidence that he was the one behind the statement that Malawi is not ready for a female president.

Pan African Civic Educators Network (PACENET) yesterday described remarks as discriminatory, divisive and hypothetical. Pacenet further called upon the regional governor to provide backing evidence showing that Malawians do not want a woman to assume the highest office in the country.

Pacenet executive director Steve Duwa told The Daily Times his organization, which advocates for the promotion of women into decision-making positions and politics, was uncomfortable with the statement because saying it is in conflict with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development to which Malawi is a signatory.

The protocol encourages SADC states to ensure 50-50 women representation in decision making and politics by 2015.

Duwa said on Wednesday that while he had no problems with DPP parading Peter Mutharika as their torchbearer in the 2014 elections, it was wrong for Masangwi to suggest that Malawi was not ready to have a woman president.

“I’m shocked with this declaration from the governor given the current crop of learned and experienced women in the DPP itself. The statement by the governor is discriminatory, divisive and hypothetical,” he stated adding it could be wise for the governor to state reasons why he thinks Malawi is not ready for a female president.

“Are we to understand that all efforts through the 50-50 national campaign for women in politics being coordinated by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Development are in vain? Are women chosen for party positions in order for the male-dominated political structures to achieve their hidden goal?” asked Duwa.

He further wondered if DPP would support any female aspirant for presidency observing that assertions Masangwi made are understood to imply that a woman vying for the highest office in the party outside southern region is unlikely to get DPP support.

Besides being a signatory to SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, Malawi also is party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights and Rights of Women, the Millennium Development Goals especially Goal 3 which calls for equality and empowerment of women and the AU Charter on Human Rights.

“With particular reference to the SADC Protocol which Malawi signed through President Bingu Wa Mutharika on the 19th.October, 2009, we as a nation have the responsibility to satisfy the twenty eight targets contained in the Protocol itself by 2015,” he said.

But Duwa praised the regional governor for stating what the DPP plans thereby leaving no room for speculations and that women who are in majority should regurgitate over the statement.

But in an interview yesterday, Masangwi challenged the civil society to do a research on who uttered the statement arguing he never did.

“Ask them to prove that I said those words. Why do you ask me something I didn’t say?” asked Masangwi before cutting the line.

END