DED: WOMEN YOU SHOULD NOT ACCEPT SMALL GIFTS FROM POLITICIANS

MUFINDI: Mufindi District Council Executive Director (DED), Saada Malunde has urged women not to be used politically by politicians who come and buy their voter cards, especially this time of the year of election. 

Malunde said that in this coming general election in October this year women are often used by politicians for political means by enticing them with small items like salt, dresses t-shirts and caps.

DED said this while opening training on women leadership in agriculture, access to extension services and agricultural inputs to woman farmers held at Mafinga Town, Mufindi District in Iringa Region yesterday.

The training was organized by the Land O 'Lakes under the auspices of the Organization of American people Aid (USAID) through the Project Innovations in Gender Issues and strengthen food security at the household level.

The training attracted 45 participants from all the districts of Iringa Region, including Iringa, Mufindi and Kilolo. 

"You should not try at all cost to sell your cards because by so doing you selling your personality for the next five years," said Malunde.

She said that politicians can come in and want to give something in exchange with your voter cards so that you give those votes during the balloting never do that.

However, Malunde advised women to consider such training to use it to improve lives by cultivating agribusiness.

She added that women often faced with limited access to available land, agricultural implements and inputs, credit, extension services and professional advice and the best infrastructure and new technologies.

On her part, Chief of Party, Dr. Rose Kingamkono said that women are a key element in the development of agriculture around the world.

She said that in many African countries up to 80 percent of the farm work is done by women, adding that many households in developing countries are headed by women.

"Women could increase production on their farms by 20-30 percent if they have equal access to farm implements, inputs and extension services as men," she said.