MALAWI: The International Movement of Catholic Students Launches Gender Policy Campaign By Sidonia Dzikolidaya
The International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) within the Southern Africa Sub-region last week launched the IMCS Africa Gender Policy in Lusaka, Zambia.
The launch which was witnessed by delegates from Zambia Ministry of Gender and International Youth Chaplains from Zambia and Botswana, brought together Catholic Students from the Southern Africa Sub-region comprising of Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana and Swaziland.
The Gender Policy with the theme “Working towards a dignified life for all” is an IMCS Africa Gender Policy which was adopted by the 11th Pan African Assembly in October, 2014. The Policy aims at guiding the Catholic students to relate well among groups and live in harmony, without the deliberate negative criticisms, endless complaints and useless comparison which are all destructive to unity.
Malawi representatives at the Gender Policy Launch comprised of Tuntufye Simwimba (Catholic University), Zione Luhanga (Mzuzu University), Nezzar Isaac Kachali (Catholic University), Alfred Levison (Malawi University of Science and Technology), Violet Thoko Machika (Catholic University) and Sidonia Dzikolidaya (ECM Pastoral Commission).
Speaking during the launch IMCS Pan Africa Coordinator Patrick Ochida from Kenya expressed that the Gender Policy Campaign will act as one way of improving students understanding on issues of gender equity and equality in their respective countries.
“The IMCS Gender Policy is intended to promote equality in leadership and also promote human dignity in the world we are living,” he sai.
Ochida mention that in the world today, people view differently issues of gender where by women and girls have remained victims. “When it comes to issues of employment, education, there has to be equal opportunities irrespective of gender and also fairness between men and women having equal opportunities without discrimination but that is not the case in our countries,” he said.
During the launch participants also noticed that the society has created stereotypes mainly on women drivers, women living with disabilities and women in adverts. It was also viewed that in some cultures men and women have direct roles specifically assigned to them.
“In one of the cultures in my country a man is not supposed to be in the kitchen together with the women, he can only enter the kitchen when the women are not around,” Ochida explained adding that, different cultures have their own believes which has caused women to be silent and remain victims in the world.
He quoted the Catechism of the Catholic Church “2333” which states that, everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out and in relation to the Bible in Genesis 2:27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created. (The New Catholic Answer Bible).
“Human dignity is important and we all need to live in harmony respecting Gods word that we are all created in his own image,” Ochida said.
During the panel discussions Catholic Students highlighted pertinent issues such as poor gender mainstream, cultural practices, religious practices and abortion which have left some women and girls victims of circumstances.
Speaking at the same function President of the National Movement of Catholic Students in Malawi and also a student at Catholic University of Malawi Tuntufye Simwimba, highlighted that the gender policy will be an eye opener for today’s leaders on issues of gender whether in education, politics and leadership positions.
Simwimba, mention that as a team of Catholic students they will make an initiative to launch the Gender Policy at local level in Malawi as one way of promoting the Gender Policy and there after implementation will follow to enable students understands the issues of equality and human dignity.
“When we go back home, we will try our best to implement what we have learnt, we will work with different partners who are already implementing activities concerning Gender such as Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Ministry of Gender and other local commissions that deal with issues of Gender,” he said.
Other presentations that spiced up the Gender Policy Launch were presentations on the Gender Based Violence, IMCS Gender Policy, Youth Ministry in today’s world, Zambia Gender Policy, How students can promote the use of the New Catholic Answer Bible in their countries and also reports concerning success and challenges of National Movements.
Apart from the Gender Policy Launch, the Catholic Students spent their leisure time by visiting the Monastery of the Poor Clara’s in Zambia, where students had an interaction with the sisters on issues in relation to vocations in the Catholic Church.
The National Movement of Catholic Students (NMCS-Malawi), is a student’s movement which unites all Catholic students at tertiary level and promotes students Apostolate among students of tertiary and higher education. The movement in Malawi is an affiliate member of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana). In addition the NMCS Malawi is a Catholic Students’ Movement which is under the Youth Desk in the ECM Pastoral Commission.
