Project Partner: Purple Innovation for Women
Project Summary
Purple Innovation for Women, a Non-Governmental Organization registered as a Trust in Malawi, operates with a vision to advance women’s empowerment and reduce violence against women and girls. In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Purple Innovation for Women has launched a project to address the mismanagement of funds allocated for COVID-19 interventions at local and national levels.
The project involves the strategic training of investigative journalists to monitor and scrutinize the allocation and utilization of COVID-19 funds. These journalists have the skills necessary for evidence-based investigative reporting, specifically focusing on public procurement of COVID-19 materials. The ultimate goal is to produce stories that inform legal investigations and prosecutions of allegedly corrupt public officers.
Notable Success: Advancing COVID-19 Transparency Through Investigative Journalism
Clear Goals:
- Equip journalists with the skills to monitor and investigate the mismanagement of COVID-19 funds.
- Produce investigative stories on public procurement in COVID-19 materials.
- Inform legal investigations and prosecutions of allegedly corrupt public officers.
Impactful Steps:
- Journalist Training: Purple Innovation for Women successfully trained ten investigative journalists, empowering them with investigative journalism skills.
- Published Stories: The trained journalists published nine stories on COVID-19-related corruption, including misappropriation of funds.
- Petition to Anticorruption Bureau: Purple Innovation for Women took proactive measures by petitioning the country’s Anticorruption Bureau. The petition aimed to prompt further investigation into corrupt practices surrounding COVID-19 in specific regions, such as Mzimba and Nkhata Bay.
Notable Success: The project’s remarkable success lies in its ability to use investigative journalism to advance COVID-19 transparency. By training journalists and facilitating the publication of stories, Purple Innovation for Women has initiated a process that exposes corruption and seeks legal consequences for those involved.
Advocating for Accountability: The project’s impact extends beyond journalism, supporting accountability through legal channels. The petition to the Anticorruption Bureau reflects a commitment to pursuing justice and holding corrupt public officers accountable for their actions.
Community Engagement: The stories published contribute to increased awareness within the community regarding COVID-19-related corruption. This engagement catalyzes collective efforts to address corruption and ensure transparent and equitable resource distribution.
Purple Innovation for Women’s project in Malawi exemplifies a proactive approach to addressing the challenges of COVID-19 transparency. Through training journalists and publishing impactful stories, the organization is actively contributing to accountability and justice in allocating funds for COVID-19 interventions in Malawi.