By Jones Gadama
Malawi’s First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera, has emphasized the importance of safeguarding women and girls in the digital and online sphere.
Speaking at the opening of the third edition of the 2025 Women and Girls Cyber Conference, Madame Chakwera stressed that building a digital platform for women requires ensuring their emotional and digital protection.
She highlighted the need for women and girls to understand the digital world to learn self-protection mechanisms.
“Everyone needs to prepare girls to be safe and confident in online spaces,” Madame Chakwera said, acknowledging the innovation and creativity shown by young people despite limited mobile internet access in some areas.
Madame Chakwera also emphasized the importance of including women and girls in Malawi’s digital development, noting that they demographically outnumber men.
This inclusion, she said, is crucial for achieving Malawi’s Vision 2063, which aims for an inclusive and self-reliant country.
Minister of Information and Digitalisation, Moses Kunkuyu, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting women and girls through new cybersecurity policies, laws, and internet regulations.
“The world is advancing technologically, and women and girls are among the most vulnerable. It is our responsibility to ensure they are not victimised online,” he stated.
Bridget Chibwana, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Board Chairperson, stressed the importance of empowering women and girls in cybersecurity.
“By empowering women and girls in cybersecurity, we help ensure that digitalisation and technological progress are inclusive and beneficial to all sectors of society,” she said.
The conference aims to empower, inspire, and connect women and girls on cybersecurity issues.
