Gewe to award best 4 programme implementors

By MacDonald Chapalapata (Correnspondent) - The Daily Times

The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (Gewe) Programme will next month award non state actors that are implementing innovative and creative interventions in the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment in the country.

This was agreed at the programme’s review meeting that was held in Lilongwe recently to review progress of the three year programme.

The programme, which is being implemented by the Malawi government with support from the European Union (EU) and United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), is aimed at reducing gender inequalities between men, women, girls and boys in accessing productive resources and development opportunities.

Participants at the meeting agreed that four non- governmental organisations (NGOs) that have managed to demonstrate innovative results and good practice should qualify for additional funding to enable them to upscale their innovative approaches.

Gewe Programme Coordinator, Innocent Hauya, said a panel of three judges will vet and assess the entries from Implementing Partners (IPs) to identify the four best entries.

“The Gewe Champion Award is to the tune of $30,000, (about MK14.6 million) and will be presented to each of the 4 IPs that have best implemented sustainable innovative activities that integrate or align all elements and
principles of equality into a holistic programme that has a lasting impact on the community and the economy as a whole.“

He added that for sustainability purposes, one of the key guiding principles for the judges is that the activities should be in line with the District Development Plans and it is for this reason that the NGOs are encouraged to
work collaboratively with the Ministry of Gender officers in the 13 districts in the development of their entries.

The successful implementing partners will then identify a community based organisation in its impact area to use the funds  for implementing community activities aimed at promotion of gender equality and women empowerment,” he said.

The Gewe project was launched in 2012 and will run up to 2015. Its overall objective is to contribute towards acceleration efforts to advance gender equalily and equity as a human right for the reduction of HIV and Aids and poverty in line with the Malawi Growmh and Development Strategy (MGDS), the National Gender Policy (NGP) and Gender Sector Wide Approach.