Soaring voices against violence against girls

In this entry, our news analyst I explore the reasons behind a surge in cases of violence against adolescent girls and young women.

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Sweat trickled as different local leaders and duty-bearers were cornered by adolescent girls and young women on why they were failing to protect them from violence in both domestic and public spheres.

This happened on the International Day of Human Rights, December 10 2014, during a public debate organised by Girls Empowerment Network (Genet) Malawi at Chisawani Primary School in Blantyre.

The public debate, which kick-started with a community march against gender-based violence (GBV), was held under the theme “Are girls and women protected from violence?”

The debate reached a climax when girls and women courageously bombarded their leaders with constructive questions that sought nothing but honest answers from them.

The debate conferred girls and women a rare opportunity to come face-to-face with their local leaders, including other duty bearers and exercise their right to demand their rights from them. However, most of the duty bearers failed to give compelling evidence of their efforts towards protecting them.

“Chiefs are the custodians of culture in our communities but why do they fail to protect us from child marriage and child labour that is driven by harmful cultural practices? Why do they fail to modify such practices by punishing parents who perpetrate such evil practices?” asked a Standard Seven girl from Chisawani Primary School.

Young women also wondered why some local leaders brag about protecting them from violence yet there were staggering cases of wife battering and economic violence. At that juncture, the police received a set of questions that proved to be a bitter pill to swallow.

“Why do the police fail to assist victims of violence as sometimes they are only advised to go back home, where the perpetrator is, because they don’t have resources to travel and arrest them? How can the police discharge their duties without sound resources? Don’t we pay taxes to deserve protection in the country?” asked Tina Banda, a young woman from Somba Village.

However, when the situation became tense with girls and women firing questions without fear or favour, one of the chiefs accepted defeat, saying most local leaders were not doing enough to protect girls and women from violence.

“Let us face the reality here that most of us, the duty bearers, have failed to protect our girls and women from violence. This meeting has exposed the gaps that are there; hence, the need to mend them from now onwards. We really need to do something before it is too late to save our generation,” said Village Head Mandevu.

—Consequences of violence—

Gender-based-violence (GBV) is one of the most serious and widespread human rights abuses in Malawi. It continues to subject girls and women to psychological, physical and emotional harm plus leaving them with injuries and scars that can last a lifetime.

Experts stress that countries such as Malawi are at a critical moment where stakeholders must come together to solidify commitments to ending violence against women and girls.

UNDP’s report on Gender inequality index indicates that 43 percent of Malawians experience violence with over 50 percent being women.

“Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination which is deeply rooted in harmful cultural beliefs, power imbalances and structural relationships of inequality between women and men globally. The problem has not spared Malawi as it affects girls and women unreasonably,” says Oxfam Malawi’s Gender Justice Programme officer Estell Msefula.

On his part, Genet Malawi’s project coordinator Howard Mlozi blames violence for Malawi’s ailing economy and recurring poverty.

“GBV has a direct bearing on Malawi’s development index because its negative effects are extended to socio-economic development where victims are becoming unproductive; hence, failing to make substantial contributions. Imagine, how can a wife whose hands have been chopped off be actively engaged in any meaningful economic activity? Or who can go to a market to sell products with a swollen face or bruised eye? What about the stinking work place violence against girls and women which is demanding sex before they are given a job? ” says Mlozi.

In development settings, violence against women and girls hinders progress towards achievement of several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including those relating to education, HIV and Aids, maternal health and child mortality.

Mlozi adds that there is a spoiled generation of youths as a result of children who grow up in families and communities that experience violence.

—Window of hope—

Given the devastating effect violence has on girls and women, efforts have mainly focused on responses and services for survivors. However, Genet Malawi believes the best way to ending violence against women and girls is to prevent it from happening in the first place by addressing its root and structural causes.

Mlozi says Genet Malawi through its Oxfam-funded project, ‘Prevention of violence against girls and women’, is determined to initiate change from the grassroots levels by directly engaging local leaders, girls and women to take action against violence. The project has been implemented in Blantyre and Mulanje in the areas of Somba and Chikumbu, respectively.

He says Genet Malawi currently builds and strengthens the capacity of local leaders, girls, women and other relevant duty bearers that act as ‘Voices Against Violence’ at the grassroots levels. Meanwhile, the NGO has facilitated the establishment of eight girls’ and women’s networks plus two high level committees against violence in Blantyre and Mulanje.

“We are working to empowering local leaders, girls and women to take matters into their own hands in changing societal attitudes towards girls and women and subsequently eradicating instances of violence against women at grassroots levels,” says Mlozi.

Genet Malawi’s capacity building training provide girls, women and local leaders with tools and expertise to understanding the root causes of violence in their communities, to educate and involve their peers and communities to prevent such violence and to learn about the existing legal and human rights instruments that can protect them from violence.

The strategy also develops and strengthens the procedure of response and reporting that is adapted and reinforced at a community level in order to provide adequate and timely support to victims of GBV.

Generally, Genet Malawi’s and Oxfam Malawi’s strong focus and contribution to the global fight against violence among girls and women is placed on preventing violence through the promotion of gender equality, women’s empowerment and their enjoyment of human rights. It also means courting local leaders to make the home and public spaces safer for women and girls in order to ensuring women’s economic independence and security, and increasing their participation and decision-making powers—in the home and relationships, as well as in public life and politics.

In his concluding remarks, senior chief Somba commissioned his subjects and other service providers working in his area to step up efforts to stop violence against girls and women.

“From this meeting, I have learnt that violence against girls and women is evil for the development of my area and our country as a whole. Therefore, as my subjects you are asked to form strong committees at village levels that will fight gender based violence. You are also encouraged to conduct meetings in order to raise awareness of violence and its consequences on development,” said senior chief Somba.

Meanwhile, Traditional Authority Chikumbu of Mulanje has committed herself to formulating by-laws against all forms of violence in addition to the existing by-laws aimed at ending child marriage.

“I can’t sit and watch the rights of girls and women being violated in my area. I will liaise with my colleagues at Mulanje Magistrate’s Court to come with fresh by-laws that are aimed at fighting any type of violence in my area,” said Chikumbu.