By Jones Gadama
The Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare on Wednesday engaged Standard Bank Malawi officials in Lilongwe to strengthen collaboration between government and the private sector in advancing inclusive development programmes.
The Ministry delegation, led by the Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and senior officials, met a Standard Bank Malawi team headed by Head of Legal and Company Secretary, Norah Nsanja.
Speaking during the engagement, the Minister said the meeting was an important step in building partnerships with the private sector to advance inclusive development, particularly in promoting women empowerment, financial literacy, digitalisation of social protection, and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The two parties discussed possible areas of collaboration, focusing on women empowerment, financial literacy, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in various initiatives within the bank.
The discussions also explored further opportunities for the digitalisation of social protection programmes to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of services.
The Minister emphasised that partnerships with the private sector are essential in advancing inclusive development and improving the livelihoods of vulnerable groups across the country.
In her remarks, Norah Nsanja said Standard Bank Malawi remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote inclusive growth, particularly through empowering women-led Small and Medium Enterprises and advancing financial literacy.
She added that the bank believes in “growing Malawi together,” noting that the engagement provides a valuable platform for strengthening collaboration with the Ministry in areas such as digitalisation of social protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities across its programmes.
The two parties further discussed possible areas of collaboration, which will pave the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare and Standard Bank Malawi.
The planned MoU is expected to formalise joint efforts aimed at scaling up impact in women empowerment, financial inclusion, and support for persons with disabilities.
Both sides expressed optimism that the partnership will deliver tangible benefits for vulnerable populations and contribute to national development goals.
