Traditional leaders engaged in GBV fight
Lilongwe Police Station and Child Advocacy Centre have asked traditional leaders and their spouses in Lilongwe District to intensify the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and child marriages.
Speaking on Tuesday at Traditional Authority Malili headquarters during the commemoration of International Women’s Day, the station’s community policing desk officer Getrude Chinjati asked the women to champion the fight against GBV in their communities.
She said: “You are key figures in the society and you should take part in the fight against any forms of violence against women and children.
“Most importantly, you should terminate child marriages which are forcing girls out of school.”
Child Advocacy Centre executive director Memory Ngosi-Chisenga urged the women to safeguard their rights and report GBV perpetrators to police.
She said: “Break the silence and report the abusers to police.
“As we are commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day, we should not let sexual predators go off the hook. Report them to authorities so that they face the law for the good of thegirl child.”
T/A Malili’s wife, Feje, said that women and girls continue to face abuse in the area despite many interventions by government and other stakeholders.
She asked fellow women in the district to join hands to protect the girl child from early marriages.
Said Feje: “We should spread the message against GBV and help victims to report the cases.
“We want girls to complete their education.”
In recent times, the country has registered a rise in GBV cases, including rape and defilement.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati earlier told The Nation that the rise in GBV cases is a result of improved reporting on the vice by victims.
