Global Fund for Widowhood says advocating for women empowerment in Malawi is one way of addressing physical, and social-economic challenges that women encounter globally.
Global Fund for Widowhood founder, Heather Ibrahim-Leathers made the remarks during the interface meeting with First Lady Monica Chakwera on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly Conference in New York.
Speaking in an interview, Ibrahim-Leathers said she had a fruitful discussion with the Malawi First Lady on how best the Global Fund can assist Widows in Malawi to become economically independent.
“There is need to support these women through education and capital injection to address their challenges that comes when they lose their husbands.
“Widows are regular women who were once married and unfortunately lose their husbands and property” she said.
She said the challenges widows face globally are numerous and the meeting explored how best to partner and expand such intervention across the country.
“We need to economically empower the widows in Malawi so that they send their children to school, educate them and break the cycle of poverty as well as improving their health nutrition” she said.
Ibrahim-Leathers acknowledges the vital role Shaping Our Future Foundation is playing particularly by aligning with First Lady’s initiative of supporting community-led programmes for vulnerable children and orphans from female-headed households in Malawi.
She commended Madame Monica Chakwera for championing women and girl’s rights by ensuring that they are empowered and that women invest in the future of their children as well as providing for their families.
“Our approach is to inject 67 percent capital while encouraging women to contribute 33 from their business proceeds as one way of empowering women to become economically independent” she said.
In her remarks the Malawi`s First Lady commended the approach by global Fund for Widowhood saying empowering widows will enable them to support their children educational needs.
Madam Chakwera noted that widows are highly marginalised and face discrimination and disinheritance hence the need to economically empower them.
She said there is need for collective effort to create a conducive environment to assist the widows economically and help rebuild their lives.
Global Fund for Widowhood is a non-profit organisation driven by a mission to uplift widows and female headed households from poverty through micro finance initiatives.
The organisation created Widows savings and Loans Association(Wasala) with the aim of promoting economic independence among widows and started its work in Malawi in 2019. It undertakes similar projects in various countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Egypt, Niger and Cameron.
Reported By Lisa Kadango Malango
