NGO Gender Coordination (NGC) Network has warned women aspirants against expecting a smooth ride with incumbent women members of parliament (MPs) in both party primaries and during the 2009 parliamentary elections, saying politics is not charity but competition.

Chairperson for NGC’s Permanent Committee on Women in Politics, Reen Kachere, speaking in an interview, said it would be illogical for aspiring MPs contesting in constituencies with sitting women parliamentarians to expect the incumbents to hand over power voluntarily.

Her warning comes in the wake of concerns from the Taskforce for Aspiring Women MPs Vice Chairperson, Rose Hara Ngondo, that incumbent women MPs were afraid of those aspiring for the same positions, and were doing all they could to frustrate them.

Hara-Ngondo said, for instance, that out of two meetings aimed at building the capacity of aspiring parliamentarians, only once did Blantyre woman parliamentarian Ettinor Koloviko grace the occasion.

“It’s only Koloviko who has ever attended our meeting but the rest do not come. We have the feeling they are afraid of us, they don’t want to empower fellow women and this is against the spirit of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) declaration on gender,” said Hara-Ngondo, adding the development was frustrating for women aspirants.

But, reacting the concerns, Kachere said it would be ‘childish’ for aspiring MPs to think that they would go to parliament on charity, adding campaigns aimed at fighting for greater women representation in politics and decision making were not aimed at frustrating those already in positions of national influence.

“These women aspiring to be members of parliament should know that politics is not charity but competition: do they expect that incumbent women parliamentarians will come to them and say,’ here you are, take my position?’ Aah! It does not work that way,” said Kachere.

She said, while men had an unfair advantage in most constituencies, partly because of their general nature of inducing violence, and well-established financial capacity, women aspirants should try to compete with men as opposed to frustrating fellow women

Kachere said that was why various organisations, such as Norad, came forward to support women financially so they could stand the heat against men, as Malawi prepares for the May 19, 2009 general elections.

Some women aspirants have complained that some political parties have set up exorbitant primaries’ participation fees to hinder them from participating, but Kachere said, through start up financial incentives for women, the situation could be reversed to ensure sustainable women participation in politics and decision making.