The Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) chapter in Malawi says that early marriages is a contributing factor for Gender-Based Violence cases. One in five women in Malawi have also experienced sexual harassment at some point in their lives, according to the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) chapter in Malawi, which has raised awareness about the issue.
RWA chairperson in Malawi, Alice Kachere, facilitated a commemoration of 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Mchinji district.
“Nearly 20 GBV cases are reported to us each month, and some of these instances are the result of young marriages. Additionally, because they are abused, it frequently has detrimental consequences on children and youth,” Kachere said.
During her remarks, Kachere praised the collaborative efforts made by various non-governmental organisations in the battle against GBV.
She continued by stating that numerous initiatives have already been put in place as a means of reducing GBV in their communities. For example, they gather women to discuss problems they face at home and involve other stakeholders in raising awareness and building their capacity as part of campaigns.
Meanwhile, the RWA Mchinji district chairperson concurred with the RWA Malawi’s chapter chairperson that males have an important role to play in ending GBV.
She added that young men and girls should become advocates against GBV and should capture success stories.
Traditional Authority Mabvele, who attended this year’s 16 Days commemoration, stated, “Although we recognise that women shoulder an excessive amount of work in the home whether it be farming, cooking, or even caring for our children, women still face a number of obstacles,” Mabvele said.
“We must run awareness campaigns in order to lower the number of GBV instances, as many of these cases result from early marriages, and raising knowledge will aid in reducing these difficulties,” Kanthiti said.
The Rural Women Assembly (RWA) Malawi chapter was established to address concerns relating to violence against women and girls, the 50-50 movement to improve women’s representation in politics, and promoting young girls’ education.
