Authorities have reiterated on the need of incorporating women in decision making positions if Malawi is to achieve peace at all levels.

Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati said this at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe during the commemoration of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and launch of the National Action Plan (NAP).

According to Kaliati, the unveiling of the plan is a significant step of empowering women towards achieving the Malawi 2063 aspirations.

“We are talking about issues of the protection women from Gender Based Violence (GBV) but also we are talking the participation of women in decision making in each and every programme, be it private sector or government,” said Kaliati.

“So the NAP is going to help us moving in that direction, that we have to end GBV and also we protect our children and that’s why we have challenged the officials that time is now.”

Speaking during the same event, UN Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara said there is need for collaborative efforts towards ensuring that the Resolution and the Plan achieve its intended purpose.

He said: “We really welcome the ownership of the government and people of Malawi in really pushing the women`s agenda together forward because I am sure if we are peaceful we can prosper together.”

On her part, Head of Mission at Embassy of Iceland Inga Petursdottir said much as the development partners are impressed with launch of the National Action Plan, there is need to pump in more resources to realise the objectives.

“This NAP is very concrete way of doing how to sustain peace and how to prevent conflict and how to enroll women in the decision making process at all levels,” said Petursdottir.

The commemoration was held under the theme “Time is now to invest in women as peace builders”.

UNSCR 1325 on women, peace, and security was adopted by the UN Security Council on October 31 2000 following the recalling of resolutions 1226, 1265, 1296 and 1314.

Among other determinations, the four-paged resolution states the need to implement fully international humanitarian and human rights law that protects the rights of women and girls during and after conflicts.