£5.7m in aid for ‘sister nation’ Malawi

MALAWI will receive £5.7 million in Scottish Government funding after appointing its first female president.

Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop has pledged support for five women’s projects in Scotland’s historic “sister-nation”.

They are among 19 projects in Malawi run by Scottish–based organisations which have been allocated funding from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund.

The projects will receive £2.1m in 2012-13, £1.9m in 2013-14 and £1.7m in 2014-15.

Joyce Banda, Malawi’s first female president, is also the first ever female head of state in southern Africa, and only the second in the entire continent.

Welcoming her appointment, Ms Hyslop said: “Scotland has a special relationship with Malawi, whose people are some of the poorest in the world.

“Women often suffer the most from the effects of poverty and I am pleased that five of these projects will specifically help women and girls – saving lives, helping women to become more active in their communities and empowering them to take up opportunities in business and politics.

“The recent appointment of Joyce Banda as Malawi’s first female president is testament to the fact that women in Africa are making progress socially, economically and politically.

“I am confident these projects will help to continue that progress.

“We in Scotland are aware of our responsibilities to the wider world.”