Chilima condemns gender violence
Vice-President Saulos Chilima has condemned gender-based violence, which he said is on the rise in Africa and the country.
The Vice-President was speaking on Saturday evening at University of Malawi’s (Unima) College of Medicine (CoM) in Blantyre when he opened the first ever Scora Africa Boot Camp (SABC), a federation of African medical students.
Said Chilima: “Malawi is among the top 10 countries in Africa with high percentage of gender-based violence [GBV]. It is for this sole reason that medical experts will attempt to articulate strategies for eradicating gender based violence.”
He said self-respect was the key to solving the problem of mutilations, rape cases, defilements and other forms of physical and psychological abuses in the country and the continent as a whole.
The Veep said any government in the world cannot tolerate GBV considering the crucial role that women play in raising humankind. He urged delegates to the boot camp to develop meaningful and sustainable measures to end GBV.
Unima Vice-Chancellor Professor John Saka applauded CoM students for maintaining the college’s motto, ‘Centre of excellence; yesterday, today and tomorrow’, noting that hosting the international conference was yet another milestone for the institution.
He observed that international conferences were beneficial to government through the health sector.
Saka then urged the delegates to continue respecting women’s rights and speak against GBV.
In his remarks, CoM Medical Students Association president Parth Patel said students at the college put much effort to emerge winners to host the SABC.
The conference, which has drawn participants from 22 African countries including Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, is being held under the theme Gender-based Violence: A Hidden Health Burden.
