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The Canadian International Development Agency (Cida) on Wednesday disbursed part-payments of K2,694,275 of K5.5 million pledged to Federation of the Disability Organisations in Malawi (Fedoma) and K303,000 of K600,000 to Young Women Leaders Network (YWNL) to undertake different projects.
Cida director Grant Hawes said the funding was meant to enable Fedoma to implement a project in HIV/Aids and reproductive health for people with disabilities, while YWNL was to implement a role-modelling project for secondary school girls.
The funding was aimed at strengthening the capacity of selected government and civil society organisations to promote gender equality in the fields of education, health (reproductive health and HIV/Aids), water and sanitation.
“It makes us happy to see Fedoma taking an initiative to ensure that men, women and children with disabilities have access to relevant information and actively participate and benefit from information and awareness initiatives that affect their wellbeing in society,” said Hawes.
He observed that few women take decision-making positions and with the project, YWNL will now be able to inspire young girls to have self-esteem, be confident and later take up decision making positions and participate fully in development.
Hawes said gender was about equal participation in development, equal access to and control of resources for poverty alleviation.
“Women can only be equal partners with men if they participate fully by taking up decision-making positions,” he said.
Fedoma director Mussa Chiwaula and Innocentia Nkhoma, director for YWLN said the funds would assist them to inspire people with physical disabilities and upcoming leaders in secondary schools to become effective contributors in development of the country.
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