Salima District Council gender officer Fryness Samaliya has bemoaned rampant defilement cases, calling for collaboration to address the vice.
In an interview on Tuesday on the sidelines of the commemoration of the district’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), she said the one-stop centre has been receiving 12 defilement cases monthly.
Said Samaliya: “The one-stop centre has been receiving many defilement cases which shows that, we are not doing fine to tackle GBV.
“So, we conducted awareness campaigns, meetings, introducing sports and entertainment to get people involved in the fight against GBV.”
Salima Police Station Superintendent Doreen Mussa Milanzie admitted that they receive many GBV-related cases daily.
He said: “Even men report cases against their spouses. So, both genders are facing GBV.
“There is need for collaboration to curb GBV at all levels because the vice affects victims socially and psychologically.”
Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education acting district coordinator Kingston Safuya highlighted the importance of collaboration to safeguard the rights of vulnerable communities.
“We have observed that Salima, being a lakeshore district, is registering GBV cases from both genders, which need to be addressed,” he said.
Mary Asani, who participated in the commemoration, encouraged GBV victims to report to authorities.
“We should not condone the culture of silence,” she said.
Thia year’s 16 Days of Activism Against GBV theme was ‘Unite to end digital gender-based violence in Malawi’.
