Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza has assured of governments commitment in protecting the rights of elderly persons in the country.
Speaking yesterday in Blantyre during a meeting of stakeholders drawn from Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Malawi under Accountability and Fullfilment for Elder Persons project, she said many governments around the world are setting up non-contributory social programmes to assist older people, most of whom are not covered by formal pension schemes.
Sendeza said Malawi is no stranger to the international advancement of social security and social protection and plans are underway to roll out a pension scheme to tackle old age poverty.
She said: “Apart from that, government recently passed the Older Persons’ Bill to protect the rights of the elderly in the country.”
In his remarks, Malawi Network of Older Persons Organisation country director Andrew Kavala thanked the government for its commitment to advance older persons’ rights.
He said non-governmental organisations too are keen to support the livelihoods of the elderly who are mostly victims of mob justice.
“We are lobbying for the protection of the elderly in all spheres of their lives so that they live a resilient and participatory life in democracy and development so that Malawi realises its long-term aspiration of Malawi 2063,” he said.
Older persons’ representative Ignacius David Mpaha commended the government for its decision to roll out a monthly elderly pension programme, which he said will improve their livelihoods.
“We face numerous challenges due to old age poverty. We are segregated against and some of us face abuse,” he said.
Funded by the Irish Aid, the Accountability and Fullfilment for Elder Persons project rolled out in 2017 and is expected to wind up this month end.
The project sought to enable older people to lead a dignified, healthy, secure and economically independent life. n
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