The co-authors, Florence Mwale (centre) and Wezi Nyirongo (tight)
* The Silent Health Crisis Facing Malawi’s LGBTQ+ Community by Capital Radio Malawi’s Florence Mwale and Wezi Nyirongo
* I am particularly excited because it touches on issues most journalists avoid reporting on due to their personal biases
By Duncan Mlanjira
Capital Radio Malawi’s Florence Mwale and Wezi Nyirongo have been honoured with the award of ‘Best Woman and Reproductive Health Journalists of the Year (Online)’ for the feature story they co-authored highlighting challenges and solutions to rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people in Malawi.
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The awards are presented at the Gala Dinner of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter as a climax to the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.
The article; https://www.capitalradiomalawi.com/2024/11/07/the-silent-health-crisis-facing-malawis-lgbtq-community/ highlights that “access to quality health care remains a challenge for LGBTQ+ people in Malawi [and that] lives are at risk as they face discrimination at health facilities because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The journalists interviewed some LGBTQ+ individuals whose identities were kept confidential and one of them narrated harrowing experience they had as trans-woman when she fell ill in July last year but was turned away from a public health facility after nurses discovered that she identifies as a trans woman.
“It was a hellish experience,” she was quoted as saying. “It seemed the person attending to me informed her colleagues about my gender, and no one was willing to help. I left without a diagnosis or treatment.”
The two journalists unraveled Malawi’s healthcare workers lack the training and knowledge needed to address gender and sexual minorities’ medical needs.
The trans-woman disclosed that when seeking medical care, they face “the wrath of transphobic healthcare workers who fail to accommodate and treat people from the community”.
“People just have stereotypes, misconceptions, and assumptions about us,” disclosed the trans-woman. “When we go to the hospitals, they’re so judgmental. They’ll even call each other and say, ‘Look at this person,’ and not even treat you right or give you the treatment, citing their cultural or religious beliefs, like totally denying you access to health care facilities.”
These are many of the untold stories being experienced by the LGBTI+ community that are hardly reportedly on by the Malawi media — save for the brave few and in congratulating Wezi and Florence, Josephine Chinele, Board chairperson of human rights media organisation, Centre for Solutions Journalism (CSJ) said: “I am particularly excited because it touches on issues most journalists avoid reporting on due to their personal biases. Keep up the good work!”
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In her reaction, Wezi said: “It feels good to be recognised for playing an advocacy role in ensuring that everyone, including the minority groups, enjoy fundamental rights — no one should be left behind.”
Several other individual awards in different categories were presented, whose overall winner was Beatrice Mwape of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) while Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) emerged Best Online Media of the Year.
Times Group won Best TV award as well as Radio Station of the Year while Nation Publications Limited was Best Print Media House of the Year.
Meanwhile, the gala dinner was attended by high profile stakeholder delegates including Secretary to the Ministry of Information & Digitalisation, Baldwin Chiyamwaka and Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Malawi, Amy Diaz.
In his remarks, Chiyamwaka said the government recognises that freedom of the press is not a luxury but a necessity adding that they understand that there cannot be sustainable development and meaningful and credible democratic elections without a media environment that is free and independent.
Chiyamwaka; press freedom is a neccessity
“The backbone of our democracy relies on citizens’ effective participation in all democratic processes, hence Malawians must be well-informed,” he said. “Without accurate, balanced and accessible information, citizens cannot make informed choices and therefore cannot effectively participate in elections.”
He thus impressed on the members of the Fourth Estate that they are not just mere messengers but pillars of good governance which includes accountability, transparency and enhancement of national cohesion.
MISA Malawi celebrated the World Press Freedom Day in Mzuzu under the theme; ‘Media for a well-informed electorate’ and in her remarks, the US envoy, Diaz said the media in the country have a role in ensuring that Malawians have accurate information on the September 16 General Elections.
“You need to remain professional so that political parties and the electorate depend on you for fair and balanced information,” Diaz said. “In this era of social media, Malawians depend on you to provide accurate information.”
MISA Malawi chairperson, Golden Matonga said despite challenges, journalists must uphold the true creed of the profession, emphasising that media should always remain impartial and safeguard the interests of the public.
“Let us reject any attempts to use us as instruments for any politician or political party,” he said. “The media must rise above the fray and prove that it can be different, effective, reliable and fit for purpose.—Reporting from the Gala Night by Aliko Munde & Ireen Mseteka, MANA
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