By Moses Nyirenda:
Irelands Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming has hailed Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) for protecting and promoting girls rights in the country.
Speaking on Tuesday after visiting some girls in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiseka in Lilongwe where GENET is implementing its project dubbed Technology and Empowerment Enhancing Network in Safe Spaces (TEENS) with support from Embassy of Ireland through UNFPA, Fleming said that the work which GENET is doing is impressive.
“What GENET is doing is great and the United Nations is glad to sponsor the projects which the organisation is doing to promote girls rights such as the right to education as well as access to sexual reproductive health services,” Fleming said.
The Minister, who was accompanied by some officials from embassy of Ireland during his visit at Chiseka, also said that the Irish government through its embassy in the country is committed to supporting girls through GENET in order for them to be able to make right choices.
“Through GENET we want to support the ladies to make good choices with their bodies, decisions and they should be able to stand up for their rights,” he said.
Also speaking during the visit, T/A Chiseka also commended GENET for implementing TEENS project in his area saying that among other things the project has helped girls from his area to be self confident.
In her remarks, GENET Executive Director, Faith Phiri said with TEENS project they are empowering girls in various ways.
“We are empowering girls with skills to help them be self reliant, have the voice, prevent gender based violence and also be change makers in their communities in a sense that the change that is happening in their lives should also go to their peers.
“Basically these girls they go out and form spaces where they interact as well as energise each other and talk about issues that affect them,” Phiri explained.
She also said that they are assisting girls to know their reproductive health rights to prevent early pregnancies and related complications that would force them drop their education.
She concluded that as GENET they want to make sure that girls in the country are fully empowered.
“What we want to achieve is a Malawi where girls are empowered, educated and independent,” she concluded.
