EU to provide K108bnfor gender initiatives
The European Union (EU) says it will provide 59 million euro (about K108.3 billion) to Malawi from the first quarter of 2024 for a gender responsive programme.
EU Ambassador Rune Skinnebach made the announcement on Saturday in Mzimba District during the launch of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse In-Country Network and celebrating the success of the Spotlight Initiative programme in Malawi.
He said the funding will help to reduce GBV, increase the resilience and livelihoods of women and girls from vulnerable backgrounds through economic empowering activities.
Said Skinnebach: “It was only two weeks ago when together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Gender, we signed a new finance agreement paving the way for a new joint programme focused on gender responsive social protection which aims at social and economic empowerment of women and girls in the country.”
In her remarks, United Nations Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda-Dontoh said there was enough evidence proving that external shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts, and climate change have intensified violence against women and girls.
She said they have under the Spotlight Initiative been able to provide services to both perpetrators and survivors of gender based violence but also enhance national and community structures for preventing, monitoring and reporting on gender-based violence,
“Mobilise parliamentarians to allocate sufficient resources in the national and district budgets to prevent violence against women and girls. Advocate for increased investments from donor partners towards preventing violence against women and girls, including more long-term sustainable investments,” said Dontoh.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza has called on all community and political leaders to take a lead in combating GBV.
She said: “Some service providers and humanitarian workers use their positions of power to engage in sexual activities and abuse those affected by taking advantage of their vulnerability. Such malpractices are inhumane; prohibited by the Constitution and, therefore, punishable by law.”
Besides launching the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the minister also launched the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse In-Country Network.
The network coordinates and oversees the protection from sexual exploitation and abusive activities in humanitarian work, development work as well as in peace keeping missions in Malawi.
Each year, 245 million women and girls aged 15 years or older globally experience physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner.
