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Women Empowernment
Related to country: Malawi

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

I have been thinking a lot about women empowernment recently. i dont know if this is a new line of thought or there is arleady an excisting line of thought arleady. but i have just been thinking that most gender equality or inequalities eradication campaghns may not be achieving much because they concentrate on the weaknessess of women and girls rather than their strengths. for instance most gender equality campaighns will publicise stories or case studies of how women are abused,violated and/ or denied their rights. am thinking in this way we are revealing or mainstreaming or even maybe justifiying the idea that women are valnurable and prone to abuse. maybe some perpertrators also get some ideas for abusing women from the gender campaighns. i would rather we concentrate on the strenghts of the women and girls. the fact that some women are able to survive though having some difficulties is an idea that has to be explored. how do some women survive? i would like to see more women and girls trained and encapacitied to survive hardships. they have to be prepared to survive in a competitive environment. as much as women specific programmes are required in some special cases; i would rather women and girls are empowered to survive the hardships they may go thrugh in life as women. for exampe in a situation where a girl is forced to drop out some girls will fight till they survive and some girls will resort into prostitution. what makes a woman choose the best way? what makes her survive? i would like much energy about gender equality promotion being ivested in this kind of research: what capabilities, strenghts and skills are required in women to make them skilled and empowered to actively and equally participate in development and profesional activities. i would like us as gender equality advocates to have a proper knowledge on what skills are required to enable women to survive in life and advocate for the mainstreaming of these skills in our education carriculums and society values. all in all i think women have got the potential to survive the abuse they are facing, all they need are the skills and knowledge to realise, seek support and survive the kind of hardships they are going through. as support groups all we need to do is to help the women realise their potential without weakening them further by exposing their weaknsses. we need to research and encourage women empowernment skills.

June 25, 2009 | 7:53 AM Comments  0 comments

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girls and equality
Related to country: Malawi

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

i was recently talking to a coleuge about sex, gender equality and the youth in general. somehow the conversation hinged on why are we not achieving gender equality despite all the campaighns? and by just observation it seems that violations and gender inequalities are increasing instead of decrising... and for instance in our country gender and women empowernment activists are shunned and viewed as not good women. during a recent bridal shower i attaended, one of the women activists that was invited to council the bride to be: about home management and curtersy, started with councilling the girl about the need for flowers around the house, how she should behave around her husbads relatives and how she should keep the romane arrive between her and her husband.. i was not too shocked by the piece of advice which seemed to encourage the girl to bee too submissive to the husband but what shocked me to the roots was her final conclunsion which was " my girl, in terms of gender equality: that is for the public! not in your house! leave gender by the door before entering your house. in your house your husband is the boss period!" i literally jumped out of my chair and said "what! you mean all your activism is never praticed in your house?" i dont remember what she replied but i think from that time i realised why we are making so much little impact... the activists themselves are not convienced of what they are propargating for... i mean if you are not completely convienced of what you are advocating for, how can you convience somebody else? i wish all gender activists are properly trainned and exposed to make a lasting impact i salute all you people trainning young girls to be gender advocates and women leaders..... i know the coming generation will have properly trainned and and exposed to deal with gender and women empowernment isses........ special mention to MOREMI INITIATIVE I SALUTE YOU!

June 25, 2009 | 4:42 AM Comments  0 comments

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MILEAD FELLOW!
Related to country: Malawi

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Moremi Initiative selects Twenty-five extra-ordinary young African women leaders from private sector, government, academia, media and non-profit sectors as MILEAD Senior Fellows
Moremi Initiative proudly announces the 2009-2010 MILEAD Fellows. The MILEAD Fellows were selected through a highly competitive selection process and criteria, including their outstanding leadership potential and demonstration of commitment to the advancement of women in Africa. The 25 selected fellows represent some of Africa’s most extra-ordinary young women leaders with the courage and commitment to lead/effect change in their communities.
The Fellows The 2009/2010 Fellows representing regional diversity, come from 21 African countries and include emerging young women leaders engaged in actively leading change on critical issues that range from women’s health and HIV/AIDS, economic justice, community development to political participation and environmental justice.


Rosemary Mbeng Agbor (CAMEROON)
Reema Abas Amr (EGYPT/ SUDAN)
Sofiat Makanjoula-Akinola (SWITZERLAND/ NIGERIA)
Rama Salia Dien (FRANCE/ SENEGAL)
Aminata Fall (Guinea)
Honorine Umoti Gasasira (RWANDA)
Takondwa Kaliwo (Malawi)
Mary N Kanoi (KENYA)
Sophia Kokor (GHANA)
Yvonne Larvin (UGANDA)
Fatou Malang (GAMBIA)
Sebabatso Manoeli (USA/LESOTHO)
Huda Mohamed (SOMALIA)
Martha Mutale (CANADA/ZAMBIA)
Chiedza Mutizi (ZIMBABWE)
Muthoni Nduhiu (KENYA)
Charmine Linda Ntuli (SOUTH AFRICA)
Biringanine Julie Nzigire (DRC)
Bello fatima Oluwakemi (NIGERIA)
Haika Harisson Ngowi (TANZANIA)
Daintowon Pay-Bee (LIBERIA)
Annette Quarcoopome (USA/ GHANA)
Sarah Simba Riziki-Neema (DRC)
Chikwanda Vongai (ZIMBABWE)
Oluwaseun Wazari (NIGERIA)
About The MILEAD Fellows Program
The MILEAD Fellows Program is a uniquely designed initiative committed to the long-term leadership development and promotion of Africa’s most promising young women leaders. Fellows go through a yearlong training and mentoring program, designed to build skills, strengthen networks, and support women’s leadership on critical issues. Over the course of a year, selected fellows, progress through three phases that include: Identification and preparation of fellows through leadership development, networking, conferences, mentoring, and training; Promotion of fellows through media coverage and networking; and Support of fellows through career planning, management and access to opportunities and resources. Fellows continue to receive and share life-long solidarity and support through the Alumni Network of the program.

For more information, contact More Initiative: Tel: +233 242 901 222; Email: info@moremiinitiative.org or Visit: www.moremiinitiative.org

June 20, 2009 | 8:22 AM Comments  0 comments

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youth and religion
Related to country: Malawi

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

my current experience with working with the youth has shown me that religion has an influence in the way youths make some kinds of decesions.i know some youths who are abstaining from sex, alcohol and/drugs for religious reasons. however i would like if there would be an exhaustive study as to how far does religious beliefs influence people. there is a growing ideology in my country that religion can be used to combat HIV/AIDS. however the proof to this allegation is yet to be presented. personally i think religion does influence peole to an extent. but the nature of it being based on faith, and sometimes non proven ideas poses a threat to those who are not strong to the faith. because religion only binds those who believe it, when a decision is based on that, a believer is challanged when she comes into contact with non believers. for instance if one is to abstain from sex because of his religion, what if she is in a relationship with a non believer. and religion gives an allowance of temptations, and sin. if a believer who committed himself to not having sex to prevent HIV. if he "falls into temptation and sins" although he repents and continue to abstain.. if he contracted the Virus during that period it will not go away... religion also provide an allowance for forgiveness and renewal of life.... but mistakes made physcically, though forgiven spiritually, will not be eradicated physcically..... so how can religious interventions account for that? there is also the issue of spiritual healing and faith. spiritually we can be healed or can belive things that are not substantially proven. so in our fight against AIDS how can we account for these "miracles"?
i think religious interventions should be critically analyes before they are implemented whole sale. i know that religion has an influence on people, but i think it must be an individual choice, and it must be to people who really are convienced and know what choice they are making. the ideal intervention to me, would be the combination of both religious and non religious interventions. the youth should have knowledge on why the various points of view require them to make the particular choice. and in case they fail to be committed to one choice (i.e religeous) they should have the skills of choosing the other options.
i think by the end of the day, the youths should be skilled to have the knowledge and ability to protect themselves from HIV in at all times and in all situations.

April 20, 2009 | 6:37 AM Comments  1 comments

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youths and life choices
Related to country: Malawi

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

i got the insipration for this blog in the discussion treads. there was a discussion the " where does the human will come in on the chooice of good and evil"
and that got me thinking that as youths, i think most of us are at a point where we are choosing how we want to lead our lives. these choices will chape how we live, how much we contribute, how far we can be influential for the rest of our lives. it is true that maybe some of our choices do rest in our hands. like our financial status, our geographical position, our cultural values might determine or will for sure dertermine where we might end up. but i think (though this is completely a personal assessment) 70% of what we end up being is dependent on the decesions we make.there are numerous examples of people who have been raised in the same conditions or situations and one has end up being sucessful and the other has end up being unsucessfull. i think that is pretty obvious.. but the main point should be why shold one survive and one should not?
according to this argument : it is the individual choices we make? one would view his economic set back as an opportunity to work hard to achieve more and one would see the same economic set back as a challange that will prevent him from working hard, from achieving his dreams.. is this a matter of human will? or individual choices? i dont know.. bet i know for sure that youths have the ability to shape their lives depending on the choices they make. our choices about religion, sexuality, political affiliations will determine the opportunities one will be exposed to, having an idea on where you want to be regardless on where you are or what opportunities are available to you can also influence the decisions about your life that you can make. i think by the end of the day we all regret or enjoy life depending on the choices we are making now.

April 17, 2009 | 2:21 AM Comments  0 comments

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