As the Senior Social Performance Specialist at JCM Power, I lead our efforts in social performance and gender equality. Our initiatives are guided by the Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) action plan, which covers five key areas: gender integration in workplace and community-related project activities, prevention to gender-based violence, responding to this violence, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder engagement.
JCM has achieved a minimum of 36% female representation across all operations. We also promote women’s active participation in the Livelihoods Restoration, Village Grievance Redress Mechanism, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committees. We have been qualified for the 2X Challenge since 2021. As a signatory to the Women Empowerment Principles, we have been actively implementing these guidelines since 2019.
In Malawi’s private sector, gender equality is an emerging concept. Our partnership with investors is thus critical to its advancement. Investors provided extensive support through funding assessments that helped shape our Gender Equality Action Plan. They also facilitate capacity-building through programmes such as the Women Leadership Programme.
These initiatives support women’s empowerment while contributing to community development. After over a decade working in gender equality, and being a native from Malawi, I have learned there is a correlation between gender equality and socio-economic development. Gender is a cross-cutting issue that should be integrated into every decision-making process, rather than being considered in isolation.
For the moment, the private sector in Malawi is not subject to regulations that impose employment quotas for women. By setting a precedent in adopting and implementing the Women Empowerment Principles, JCM is leading by example, showcasing the potential for gender-focused initiatives to transform the private sector.