Nsanje District social welfare officer Chikumbutso Salifu has bemoaned the rise in gender-based violence (GBV) cases in the district.
He said this on Monday on the sidelines of a training of District Victim Support Unit (VSU) counsellors organised by a consortium of Malawi Law Society, Kachere Progressive Women’s Group and Church and Society of Blantyre Synod of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.
Salifu said the district registered 366 GBV cases in April and 400 cases in March this year.
“Despite the strides made by various partners to fight the vice, the cases are on the rise,” he said.
Salifu attributed the situation to harmful cultural practices and parents’ negligence.
“I ask stakeholders to join hands to fight the vice,” he said.
On his part, Nsanje Police Station VSU coordinator Rex Mlawu thanked the consortium for the training.
“Police officers will apply the knowledge to fight GBV,” he said.
A participant from Nyamadzere Primary School mother group Christina Simenti asked authorities to organise regular workshops on GBV.
“We can reduce GBV cases when we have skills to handle the cases,” she said.
Kachere Progressive Women’s Group executive director Malango Maganga said they empowered VSU counsellors and other stakeholders on how to help GBV victims.
“Our project seeks to raise awareness of laws and policies which protect women and girls,” he said.
With funding from Spotlight Initiative, the consortium is implementing Accelerating Effort Towards Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls Project in traditional authorities Mlolo, Mbenje, Tengani, Malemia and Ndamera in the district.
A similar project is also running in five districts of Machinga, Ntchisi, Dowa, Nkhata Bay and Mzimba.
