NGO urges empowerment of women
WOMEN empowerment is vital because of the crucial role they play in family development as caregivers, Mkushi Mercy Foundation Ministry founder Mercy Chisi has said.
Ms Chisi said in an interview that as caregivers, women had the responsibility of taking care of families hence the need for them to become economically independent.
Ms Chisi said once women were economically independent, they were capable of enhancing social and economic development because of their ability to become self-reliant. She noted that women and the girl-child were the most vulnerable in society, but that once empowered, their vulnerability reduced and were able to contribute to the nation.
“Women are care givers who look after their families when they are economically independent. When they are empowered, they reduce their vulnerability including a girl child. They are the same people who take care of orphans,” Ms Chisi said.
And Ms Chisi reiterated that lack of parental care, recreation activities and poverty levels were main causes of early marriages and teen pregnancies which had become a big concern in communities.
Ms Chisi said girls had many needs and in some cases were exposed to transactional sex to gain material things.
She said some girls were forced to have sex with men to acquire material things, resulting in teen pregnancies and early marriages.
Ms Chisi said despite having meagre resources, her foundation was trying help girl children return to school and by providing them with other necessities.
Ms Chisi said the biggest challenge the foundation faced was inadequate finances to run programmes and projects for it to reach out to as many needy children as possible.
She said the foundation was ready to partner with other organisations to achieve the common good of society and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable women, girls and boys. Mercy Ministries Foundation was founded in 2009 but registered in 2013. The foundation was established to look at the needs of orphans, vulnerable women, girls and boys in Mkushi.