Poverty propels women and child-trafficking’

Malawi continues to experience an increase in women and child-trafficking cases because people in the trade take advantage of their vulnerability to lure them.

Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) vice-board chairperson Nanzen Kaphagawani made the observation in Zomba on Monday when he closed a two-week training of functional literacy facilitators at Naming’azi Training Centre.

She said poverty, lack of awareness, limited education and weak laws are some of the contributing factors that render women and children vulnerable.

“It has been noted that low literacy levels affect the community members’ understanding on critical issues that promote trafficking as others are not able to detect would be traffickers.

“Yoneco, therefore, recognised that communities in the areas of operation are not functionally literate and, therefore, the need to engage in activities that would enhance their functional literacy levels.

“Low functional literacy levels make the communities vulnerable to trafficking and the communities are not using their literacy levels to engage in meaningful development activities,” she said.