Community engaged on human rights
Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has engaged communities in Traditional Authority (T/A) Khongoni in Lilongwe District on human rights.
Speaking on Saturday during a training at Kasiya Primary School in the district, MHRC principal civil and political rights officer Monica Namonde said they want people to understand the general nature of human rights.
“We are especially focusing on the rights of people living with HIV and how communities are supposed to treat them,” she said.
T/A Khongoni Youth Network vice-chairperson Mayankho Moyo said during the training he learned the importance of accessing contraceptives.
“We have learned to access sexual and reproductive health services to prevent unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV,” he said.
Moyo said he will share the knowledge he gained with his fellow youths to ensure they stop stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Besides the trainings, MHRC plans to investigate human rights abuses and establish community-based complaints handling and referral structures.
With funding from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids, MHRC is implementing Scaling Up HIV and Aids Prevention Measures and Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Project in the district.
