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Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati says Malawi should revisit its approach in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and strengthen prevention as well as response mechanisms to curb the vice.

Speaking on Friday when she presided over the launch of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against GBV in Dedza District, she said despite many efforts and decades of commemorating the 16 Days of Activism, GBV continues to escalate in the country.

According to data from the Malawi Police Service Victim Support Unit, GBV cases have risen from 13 002 cases from January to September in 2021 to 15 178 during the corresponding period in 2022.

“It is very worrisome and unfortunate that despite several efforts and decades of commemorating the 16 days of Activism Against GBV, violence against women and girls continues to rise. Throughout the 16 Days, let us revisit our approach towards GBV programming on prevention and response,” said Kaliati.

To achieve this, the minister called on both government and non-governmental organisations to invest more in raising awareness and strengthening coordination at all levels.

Gender rights activist Barbara Banda observed that this year’s commemorations come at a time  the complex interplay of causes and effects of GBV are worsening in the face of deepening global and national economic turmoil, poverty and inequalities at all levels of livelihood.

She said: “This explains why we are still registering alarming levels of GBV in some parts of the country, including defilement, rape, incest and just recently, growing levels of GBV-driven suicide.

“We need to look at the root causes in a broad way and systematically interrogate such causes and find holistic approaches.”

Banda added that economic challenges in the country are affecting many girls’ opportunities for education and decent employment or entrepreneurship, which in turn, is leading to growing cases of child marriage, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.