Malawian Minister wears kilt to dance in Parliament for girls’ education

29 June 2021

Marking the Day of the African Child earlier this month, the Speaker of the Malawi National Assembly invited women to wear school uniforms to Parliament. Hon Vera Kamtukule (former Malawi Scotland Partnership CEO and now Government of Malawi Deputy Labour Minister) decided to ‘go Scottish’ and dug out her much-loved kilt!

She wore her kilt to join MPs dancing in Parliament, in celebration of the importance of girls’ education. Watch as dancing erupts in Parliament!

Hon. Kamtukule said:

“This is our day in Parliament today. Once you go Scottish, you never go back!”

The idea was proposed by Hon. Catherine Gotani Hara, Malawi’s first female Speaker of the National Assembly, who the SMP hosted in Scotland in March 2020. Speaking with the SMP on International Women’s Day, Hon. Gotani Hara said:

“I would like to send a message to the young girls and women out there. The sky is not the limit. I would like to encourage you to occupy this space. This space is for us as women. The world needs women leadership.”

The Day of the African Child usually takes place on the 16th June each year to raise awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the education provided to African children. This year the Malawian National Assembly chose to mark the day on 29th June.

We’re delighted that Malawi chose to include a little bit of Scotland in its celebrations today of the importance of girls’ education. We stand with our friends in Malawi, and encourage our Parliamentarians here to get up and dance!