Gender and Women’s rights activist Emma Kaliya, who is NGO Gender Coordination Network chairperson, is now champion of the United Nations Women arm Equal Pay Champions.
She will be unveiled on Monday in New York, United States when thw UN Women and International Labour Organisation (ILO) will launch the high-profile Equal Pay Platform of Champions, bringing together activists, celebrities and governments, including Oscar-winning American actor Patricia Arquette, Olympic gold medalist and soccer star Abby Wambach, trade union leaders and activists, aiming to bring the issue of equal pay for work of equal value to the forefront.
The global gender pay gap is 23 percent, but in some countries like Malawi this figure is even higher. It will take 70 years to close the gender wage gap (according to the 2016 ILO Report Women at Work).
Reacting to the appointment Kaliya said she was very happy that global institutions are now able to recognise her role in advocating women’s rights.
“This is great for Malawi that she is being represented in the UN Plaform of Champions. Its a great honour to me and also a pride for the nation,” she said.
According to the list which Nyasa Times has seen, 16 women have been appointed as champions worldwide.
The list contains high profile people like Secretary General of the Amnesty International Mr Salil Shetty from India, famous USA Film maker Kamala Lopez, , Nomasonto Mazibuko (South Africa), Commissioner, Commission on Gender Equality, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations .
Kaliya will also be rubbing shoulders with UK Labour Party politician, Baroness Sharmishta Chakrabarti.
The Equal Pay Platform of Champions is part of a broader Global Equal Pay Coalition, led by UN Women and the ILO, which advocates for secure laws on equal pay, better parental leave and childcare policies, and minimum living wage.
Before her departure to New York, Kaliya opened a biannual meeting on the implementation of section 11 of the gender equality act 2013 which set calls for the institutions to employ more women in key decision making position.
Kaliya and the delegates took to task various institutions which employs people on different sectors of the economy.