Nkhata Bay Council makes headway in GBV fight
Malawi Human Rights Youth Network national director Weston Msowoya has commended Nkhata Bay District Council for tackling harmful cultural practices that perpetrate gender-based violence.
Speaking in Nkhata Bay on Thursday during a Spotlight Initiative Project exit meeting, he said it was encouraging to note that the district has eradicated harmful cultural practices that fuelled GBV cases.
Msowoya said: “The initiative has revamped and strengthened local structures and has empowered women and girls to report gender-based violence (GBV).
“I urge the council and its stakeholders to build on this and continue fighting the vice where there are gaps.”
United Nation Development Programmes (UNDP) Spotlight Initiative focal person Juliet Sibale commended the council for forming community GBV technical working groups to fight the vice.
She said UNDP and other stakeholders are developing a proposal for a follow-up project considering that Spotlight Initiative was a pilot project.
“As the project is phasing out, all councils and local communities are encouraged to follow strategic ways they have put in place for sustainability,” said Sibale.
Nkhata Bay district commissioner Rogers Newa said the council will continue to encourage coordination among all stakeholders to fight GBV.
“We will make the fight against gender-based violence one of the priority issues in the council’s work plans,” he said.
Spotlight Initiative project was sought to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and being implemented in six districts, namely Mzimba, Nkhata Bay, Dowa, Ntchisi, Nsanje and Machinga with funding from European Union.
