Chief speaks against gender-based violence

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raditional Authority (T/A) Ganya of Ntcheu has urged stakeholders to enforce new land laws as one way of reducing gender-based violence (GBV) in the district.

Speaking on Wednesday during the commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, he said his office registers over 10 GBV cases a month on land issues.

Said Ganya: “Women and children become victims of GBV after a husband dies because relatives grab their land.

“We ask stakeholders to enforce land laws to address such cases.”

However, Ntcheu District Council principal gender officer Phaless Chizule said high levels of illiteracy and poverty among women were some of the factors fuelling GBV cases in the district.

She said: “For instance, this year, the district has been registering over 60 GBV cases per month due to high dependency rate among women.

“High levels of illiteracy and dependency syndrome among women make them vulnerable to GBV. We have introduced a number of economic interventions to empower the women economically.”

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Dedza Diocese programmes officer Horace Kasudze said strengthening community awareness on GBV is crucial in addressing the vice.

He said with interventions by other stakeholders, women and girls are now able to report GBV cases.

The commemoration of 16 days of activism against GBV took place at Kandeu in T/A Ganya in the district.

Recently, the country  registered a rise in GBV cases, a situation Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati attributed to more reporting of cases.

First Lady Monica Chakwera launched the 16 days of activism last week Thursday in Nkhata Bay.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of 16 days of activism which runs from 25 November to 10 December.

This year’s localised theme is Orange Malawi: End Violence Against Women and Girls, Act Now.