T/A Maseya cautions chiefs against perpetrating GBV
Traditional Authority (T/A) Maseya of Chikwawa district has cautioned chiefs in his area against indulging in gender-based violence (GBV) saying that defeats his commitment to eradicating GBV from the area.
The T/A said this on Thursday during a 16 days of activism event at group village head (GVH) Mmbande organised by Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (Cadecom) in the district.
He said reports from the area show that even chiefs indulge in GBV against their spouses and children which has a potential of affecting their education.
“I have heard complaints that some of you are abusing your wives, how can your subjects listen to you when you are not being exemplary?” He wondered.
“I am therefore calling all traditional leaders under me to a meeting to address that issue at once ,you can’t be champions against gender-based violence when yourselves are abusive in your families,” continued Maseya.
Cadecom under a project called United in Building and Advancing Life Expectancy (UBALE) is addressing issues of gender as one of its focal areas in Chikwawa besides other districts in Malawi.
Project coordinator for Chikwawa John Nyaika said his organization conducted a survey whose results show that culture and family can play a crucial role in protecting and promoting equality and justice among couples.
He also added that children are mostly neglected but are often caught in the middle of family conflicts.
He said: “Most of us focus on couples but neglect children who besides being caught up in the fights between couples themselves are also abused. Think of those young girls forced to abandon school to go into prostitution by parents, it’s like parents inflicting a heavy load on the children.”
He also mentioned cases of young girls who are taken to town where they are promised employment as housemaids only to be taken into bars to work as bartenders or even worse, as prostitutes.
The project encourages people in the communities to report any act of gender-related violence against them or anyone else and since 2015, when the project started, statistics show a rise in reportage of such cases according to station officer for Chikwawa police Maria Chandiloza.
“In 2015 593 cases were reported and for this year 691 cases have been reported between January and November. We also have a significant rise of cases from men from 116 in 2015 to 154 in the meantime for 2016,” she explained.
Guest of honour at the event, Chikwawa diocese vicar general, Father Cosmas Chasukwa observed it is important for messages against GBV to focus on other forms of abuse other than just the physical abuse that is commonly reported.
“Emotional abuse is mostly neglected yet one of the most retrogressive form of abuse as it gives a low self-esteem to those subjected to it. It is therefore important that our messaging touches that too,” he emphasised.
This year’s 16 days of activism falls under the theme, from Peace in
the home to peace in the world-make education safe for all, however
Cadecom narrowed it down to promotion of gender equality to make
education safe for all.
end.
pic:T/A Maseya, caption: Chiefs must never abuse their families
