Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Margret Chavula

Women have been very underrated in most societies but have capabilities that can transform their surroundings if only given a chance to utilize their full potential. In most societies women are faced with what is known as the triple role of women; where they carry the reproductive role such as child caring, domestic work, and caring for the sick, and the productive role where they engage in activities that would earn them an income and the community role where they carry out community work such as attending to funerals and weddings. As much as women already have a lot of work to do on a daily basis in the triple role, women take up additional tasks that arise in their communities and perform exceptionally well.

In my service  as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, I have experienced and seen the triple role of women in practice, and I have been amazed at how eager and willing these women are to take part in community development work without expecting to receive any incentives in the process to motivate them to work. Whenever there’s a community meeting,  one will observe that a majority of the attendees are women, ready and willing to take up any tasks that would improve their livelihoods. Apart from being in a majority of attendees, when given an opportunity to contribute to whatever is discussed women have been contributing brilliant ideas and suggestions, which would be left uncovered if women were not involved.

I can confidently say that my service as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer has been made easier by women who take part in and show great support in my activities in the community. I have also realised that women have so much potential in taking the lead in activities to come up with a well-coordinated group. For example there is a farmer’s group in my community embarking on poultry farming which has a woman as their leader. Apart from being a trustworthy individual, this woman has been holding the group together to ensure that the group does not deviate from its primary goal of attaining improved livelihood through poultry farming.

​An empowered woman is a great asset.