New York, NY – March 20, 2025 – An Omanye Royal Kingdom delegation participated in the event “Malawi Women, Digital Inclusion, and Social Protection: Re-Positioning Beijing +30 with Evidence from the Malawi Social Cash Transfer Program” at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on March 20, 2025. This event centered on the Malawi Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) and examined how integrating digital technologies into social protection programs can advance gender equality and empower women and girls.

The delegation’s participation highlighted the Omanye Royal Kingdom’s dedication to promoting leadership, financial inclusion, and economic independence for women in the diaspora. These objectives align with the Kingdom’s mission to bridge community gaps and serve humanity through its pillars of leadership development and economic growth.

Baroness Iris Menyah, Lady Sandra Joanis and Lady Lisa Saint-Georges took part in the event that included Dr. Nertha Semphere-Mgala, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare in Malawi, Dr. Esmie Kainja, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government in Malawi, as well as representatives from the World Bank and IDinsight. They discussed the impact of digital integration on the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP). Key topics included enhancing access to financial and digital resources for women beneficiaries, improving the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of cash transfer mechanisms, and addressing the digital divide to empower women. The event underscored the importance of digitizing cash transfers, empowering women with digital tools, and sharing lessons for global development.

Since its inception in 2006, the SCTP has reached 70% of women and girls in vulnerable households. The program’s digital cash delivery system empowers women by enabling them to manage their finances independently, leading to significant improvements in their lives. Benefits of the program include enhanced efficiency, security, and high user satisfaction, particularly among women, who constitute 75% of the users. However, challenges such as infrastructure gaps, security risks like phishing, limited financial literacy, and gender-based violence persist. Ongoing efforts are necessary to address these issues and enhance the program’s effectiveness.

The delegation networked to establish long-term partnerships with development agencies and financial institutions to support women’s entrepreneurship and economic independence. The event highlighted the impact of digital tools, mobile money, and platforms like the SCTP on women’s empowerment, access to resources, and financial services. It also discussed strategies for global digital inclusion in social protection programs. among other topics, the Omanye Royal Kingdom delegation discussed  scalable solutions and shared Malawi’s experience in aligning social protection with digital inclusion to achieve SDG 1.4 and the Beijing Declaration’s goals.