Day 13 of 16 Days of Activism

The fight against, gender based violence and violence against women and girls is said to be hindered because of lack of coordination among various stakeholders championing the fight against the vice.

This has been disclosed at a 16 Days of Activism commemoration awareness campaign Bwalo La Ana Youth Active Community Organisation BLAYACO organized in Blantyre.

During the awareness campaign, BLAYACO engaged with Health and security personnels who are said to be one of the key stakeholders in the fight against the vice.

According to BLAYACO – police as security providers have a huge role to play in the fight against GBV as they are custodians of the law.

Meanwhile police
through Sub inspector Mohamed Kulisinje of Chirimba Police said the victim support unit is an ideal place issues of gender based violence are dealt with henceforth victims should always seek help from these spotlights.

Meanwhile from the Chirimba health centre, Shaibu Makunganya a Health official asked victims of gender based violence to be seeking medical attention and should always be keen in reporting such issues.

According to Makunganya most victims fail to open up in detail every ordeal they pass through in as far as GBV is concerned.

He said currently health facilities can assist victims of GBV even before showing a police report.

Previously, health facilities could not ussher medical services to a person who has a condition thought to be from or of a violent crime.

Hospitals in Malawi only helped a person who have a medical report, meanwhile the case is now different as the health department has new laws in place which allows health personals to assist a victim even before presenting a medical report.

According to an Afrobarometer Publications
DISPATCH
AD576: Malawians see gender-based violence as a top priority – and a criminal matter
Citizens overwhelmingly say a man is “never justified” in using physical force against his wife.
Joseph J. Chunga and Raphael Nedi 24 Nov 2022 Malawi
Download (English)
Key findings

Malawi is party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and has a set of laws and policies aimed at fighting gender-based violence (GBV), including the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, the Gender Equality Act, the National Gender Policy, and the National Action Plan to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Malawi 2014-2020 (Ahmed, Changole, & Wangamati, 2021; Government of Malawi, 2014; Government of Malawi, 2015 ).

Yet one-third of Malawian women have experienced physical violence since age 15, one- fifth have suffered sexual violence, and 42% of women aged 20-24 were married before age 18 (UNICEF Malawi, 2020; UN Women, 2022; Melnikas, Mulauzi, Mkandawire, & Amin, 2021). The minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare has repeatedly called for action against GBV (Gausi, 2022; Sabola, 2021), and on assuming the presidency, Lazarus Chakwera announced plans to seek stiffer penalties against those found guilty of committing GBV and to require that human rights be taught in school (Masina, 2020).

This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021/2022) questionnaire to explore Africans’ experiences and perceptions of gender-based violence.