Care Malawi invests in GBV response
Care Malawi has donated K26 million-worth of tools to the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare to help gender service providers in gender-based violence (GBV) case management in the context of Covid-19.
Speaking during the handover at Capital Hill in Lilongwe on Thursday, Care Malawi country director Amos Zaindi said the items will help the officers to implement protection-related activities and assist women and girls’ access GBV services.
He said: “Women and girls are likely not accessing anti-violence related services due to, among others, lack of adequate capacity and resources that our frontline protection service providers are facing.
“As an organisation that puts women and girls at the centre in the fight to overcome poverty and social injustice, Care Malawi is committed to ensuring that women and girls access responsive and accountable services including GBV services.”
Zaindi said the items, which include mattresses, blankets, water buckets and handwashing soap, will benefit people from 21 traditional authorities (T/As) in six districts.
“To date we have trained 133 gender service providers on GBV case management in the context of Covid-19. These comprise police victim support units (VSUs) social welfare personnel, child protection officers and psycho-social service providers. We are also supporting the training of community victim support members in the six districts,” he said.
On her part, Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati observed that Covid-19 has seen a rise in the number of GBV cases and thanked Care Malawi for supporting GBV services in the six districts.
The ministry’s Principal Secretary Erica Maganga acknowledged community victim support units as entry points for victims of GBV and sexual violence in rural areas; hence, the need for them to be active and available and to be stocked with the necessary materials.
