Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, was appointed honorary Chairperson of the WEDS.AA
Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, was appointed honorary Chairperson of the Women Empowerment and Development Society in Asia-Africa
On 27 January 2022, at a ceremony held at the Embassy of Malawi in China, H.E. Ms. Khinteza, Ambassador of Malawi to China, on behalf of President Banda, received a certificate of appointment as Honorary President of Women Empowerment and Development Society in Asia-Africa on behalf of President Zhao Mei-ling. All diplomats of Malawi Embassy in China, image ambassadors of the WEDS.AA and business representatives attended the ceremony.
In her speech, President Zhao Meiling stressed that President Banda, as a famous African statesman, is not only a defender of women’s rights and interests, but also a witness and promoter of China-Africa friendship and cooperation. President Zhao thanked the President for his high comments on the work of the WEDS.AA and believed that under the guidance of the President, all the work will be comprehensively upgraded and further developed.
In two days, the Chinese New Year of the Tiger will be celebrated. In Chinese culture, the tiger is a symbol of bravery and strength. The Chinese people often say that the dragon is alive and the tiger leaps. In the coming year, China-Africa relations will grow stronger and produce more fruitful results.
Ambassador Taiza congratulated the WEDS.AA on its positive contribution to the cause of women’s development. He stressed that the Malawian government attaches great importance to women’s development and encourages women to actively participate in social affairs. President Banda is an outstanding representative of women in our country. The Malawian Embassy in China is ready to join hands with the Women Empowerment and Development Society in Asia-Africa to make new contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples and thus promoting China-Malaysia and China-Africa friendship.
About the Republic of Malawi
The Republic of Malawi, or Malawi in short. Located in southeast Africa, it is a landlocked country surrounded by Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia, with an area of 118,000 square kilometers and a population of 17.6 million (2019). Malawi gets its name from Lake Malawi, which is the third largest lake in Africa with an area of 30,000 square kilometers and a depth of more than 700 meters. It has many freshwater fish species unique in the world.
Malawi is one of the world’s least developed countries and is heavily dependent on international aid. The economy is predominantly agricultural, with major cash crops including tobacco, coffee, tea, cotton and sugar cane. Among them, tobacco is the most important cash crop, and tobacco-related industries absorb 70% of the labor force in the country. At the same time, tobacco is also the largest source of foreign exchange in Malawi, accounting for 60% of the country’s foreign exchange income, which is mainly sold to Europe.
Once a British colony, Malawi remained in the Commonwealth after independence and was deeply influenced by Britain. Administration, justice, education and so on all adopted the British model. So far, Britain is still its most important aid donor. More than 70% of the country’s residents believe in Christianity, 20% of the population believes in Islam. Businessmen of Indian, Pakistani and Lebanese descent have strong economic strength and occupy a dominant position in many economic fields.
