Project officer for NfYD, Sekanawo Mwatibu
* Challenges traditional and community leaders to promote women’s rights
* NfYD is training community influencers to enlighten them on women’s rights
* They are equipped with right information help to minimize GBV cases in communities
* Traditional leaders have been instrumental in ending child marriages
By Tione Andsen, MANA
Network for Youth Development (NfYD) has bemoaned that some of the traditional norms and values were perpetrating gender based violence (GBV) among women which both traditional and community leaders seem to be key players in the process.
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At the close of a two-day capacity building training on women’s rights and sexual reproductive health right (SRHR), project officer for NfYD, Sekanawo Mwatibu challenged traditional and community leaders in Malili, Lilongwe to guard against cultural traditions that are violating girls and women’s rights in their areas.
She said NfYD is training community influencers to enlighten them on women rights and SRHR so that they are equipped with right information which could help to minimize GBV cases in the communities.
Mwatibu said traditional and community leaders have been instrumental in ending child marriages and their commitments are bearing fruits.
The traditional leaders that attended
She added that the leaders have remained strategic partners in the influence change in communities in the implementation of various programmes in their areas.
Her organization was implementing ‘Her Future Her Choice’ project funded by Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Malawi — that aims to increase the capacity of adolescent youth and young women to access SRHR services.
“The four-year project targets 4,000 direct beneficiaries in Traditional Authorities Malili and Chimutu. We are making progress on championing women’s rights as well as SRHR.
“We want to safeguard the rights of girls and young women by encouraging them to remain in school,” she said.
Senior Group Village Headman Kuthindi
Senior Group Village Headman Kuthindi said the training has helped them to recognize that women have the rightful role to play in the development of any area, saying time has come for more women to be encouraged to participate fully in the development processes.
“We need to preserve women rights and promote rightful information regarding SRHR among our communities,” he said. “Every human, regardless of gender, has the right to enjoy his or her right and no one has the right to infringe the right of any one.
Lady initiator from T/A Malili, Kampaso Khuze claimed that her area has not reported any case of teenage pregnancy among girls since 2017.
She said her counselling service to young girls and provision of right SRHR have help to reduce cases of early marriages, rape and defilement among them.
