Female Ward Councilors have said lack of support from the Chief Executive Officers and District Commissioners is affecting the country’s development.

This was said during the 2022 Women Councilors’ Caucus Annual General Meeting in Mzuzu, yesterday.

Vice Chairperson Ester Sagawa, said local authorities do not prioritize issues which affect women.

“As you can see, some of our colleagues are not here because they were not provided with transport and other resources in time. We sent out invitations to councils on time but for some reasons, resources were disbursed late. This is a sign that Chief Executive Officers and District Commissioners do not understand nor value the significance of such a gathering,” Sagawa said.

Sagawa said it is not common for councils to meet and discuss issues about women adding that it makes hard for women to be heard.

Deputy Minister of Local Government, Halima Daudi said her ministry will support the women.

Daudi said she requested Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) secretariat to plan for a meeting where all local authorities will list out such challenges.

“I have taken up the concerns and I assure you that a meeting will be held to discuss and resolve these challenges,” Daudi said.

Malga Executive Director Hadrod Mkandawire said the meeting was done with the aim of creating a platform where female councilors can discuss issues which affect them.