Thursday, August 20, 2009

Pro Mutharika applauds female MPs

Malawi's Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor Peter Mutharika MP.

By Lucy Liponda

Malawi’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Professor Peter Mutharika has applauded the important role that women play in our daily lives.

Professor Mutharika was speaking on Thursday at the Malawi Sun Hotel in the commercial city Blantyre, when he opened a training workshop for female Members of Parliament on Parliamentary Procedures organised by the National Women’s Lobby Group (NAWOLG).

In his speech, Professor Mutharika said that he appreciates the good job that women Parliamentarians play in the enhancement of Malawi’s democracy.

Professor Mutharika said that apart from being wives and mothers in their families, women MPs are an important part of the country’s National Assembly.

He said the training workshop on Parliamentary procedures would help the female MPs to clearly understand their job.

“For you to be effective parliamentarians, you must clearly understand the functions of the legislature and you must learn the rules of the game- both the written and unwritten codes, procedures and mechanisms oh how to get things done in Parliament,” said Professor Mutharika who is also a highly qualified lawyer not only in Malawi but beyond the borders as well.

Professor Mutharika said therefore applauded NAWOLG for organising the training meeting which he said would help fill in the gaps left during the orientation workshop organised for all MPs by the National Assembly in June.

“After learning the rules at this workshop, you can seize opportunities to participate on key committees and positions and you can also make yourselves heard in discussions and debates and fully utilise your skills and abilities. Your experiences in a variety of Parliamentary roles will build up political capital which can be used to secure further advancement, to help change existing rules and structures and to assist new generations of women politicians,” he said to a round of applause of the female MPs.

The Executive Director for NAWOLG, Faustus Chirwa said during her remarks that she was very humbled to have Justice Minister Professor Mutharika opening the training workshop.

Chirwa said that the presence of Professor Mutharika at the meeting showed that the Bingu wa Mutharika led government was putting issues of women amongst its priority areas.

According to Professor Mutharika the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs ensures that the country is governed under the prescribed existing laws and that justice is administered and delivered fairly without fear, favour or discrimination at all levels in Malawi-Malawi Digest.

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