Malawi Human Rights Commission executive secretary Habiba Osman has hailed new research on feminist macroeconomics, saying it is key to ensuring evidence-based policies that foster gender equality in the country.
She was speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday when For Equality, a non-governmental organization, graduated nine scholars who have completed an intensive training programme on feminist macroeconomics. The scholars developed some research papers addressing various feminist macroeconomics challenges prevalent in Malawi. Osman said evidence-based research should be used to guide duty-bearers and policy makers as they come up with policies that support gender equality.
“When you look at microeconomics activities, women are not as active. So policy makers must ensure they are promoting good labour practices and allowing women to access labour,” she said.
In his remarks, director of technical services in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Services Welfare Dalitso Chikwembani hailed the scholars pieces of literature, saying they complement efforts towards realizing gender equality in the country.
He said: “Feminist macroeconomics is an important discipline in the quest to achieve gender equality and women empowerment.” The scholars are expected to publish their research papers as advocacy tools to influence policies that address the lived realities of women and girls.