By Martin MBEWE
The name of a mother is what comes first in the mind of a child when danger is close.
Even when crying, the name that is mostly mentioned is mother. In the Chichewa language, one says ‘amai’ and not ‘dad’ when crying. That is a symbol that every woman is precious to humanity.”
These were the first touching words I heard as I entered a training room at Our Lady of Africa Conference Center in Chinsapo, Lilongwe.
The Telezian Sisters, in collaboration with the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA), were conducting a training session on gender-based violence as the world commemorates the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
It was Father Damiano Precious Chitha of Lukuni Parish Archdiocese of Lilongwe who spoke. Anyone who had the opportunity to enter the training room could tell that what Father Chitha was delivering was profound and extremely important to hear.
The room was full of women who smiled and nodded in agreement with his words about a mother being precious to humanity.
It is an undeniable truth that women are integral to every community and must be treated with the utmost
respect.
However, they have been facing abuse. Gender-based violence remains a pervasive issue globally, with alarming statistics from the World Bank Gender Data Portal stressing its frequency and severity.
Approximately one in three women worldwide
experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, often by an intimate partner.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 20% of women aged 15-49 suffer intimate partner violence each year, with even higher rates among adolescents.
Tragically, in 2022, around 48,800 women and girls in Sub Sharan Africa were killed by intimate partners or family members, equating to over 130 deaths daily.
This violence represents the lethal endpoint of broader systemic issues, including cultural norms, economic disparities, and insufficient legal protections.
In Malawi, gender-based violence has affected both individual and national development.
A report by UNFPA indicates that nearly one-third of women in Malawi have experienced physical violence, while emotional and sexual violence also remain widespread.
This is why the Telezian Sisters, in collaboration
with the Catholic Women’s Association, organized these training sessions to raise awareness about gender- based violence and how it can be ended.
“This training is timely, and it is very important as a nation to reflect on the issues of gender-based
violence. As women gathering here to reflect on the same, it makes a lot of sense. It is an issue that needs
collective attention.
“It is important that women gather, talk, and learn about issues that affect them. We believe that these women will come out of this training well-equipped with knowledge on the prevention of gender-based violence and also in providing assistance to victims,” said Sister Teleza Mlenga, Project Coordinator for the Telezia Sisters.
“The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is commemorated from November 25 to
December 10 every year, and this year, the days are commemorated under the theme: Unite! End Violence
Against Women and Girls.”
Ending gender-based violence is a collective responsibility that extends beyond the government and civil society organizations to every individual and institution, including the church.
Recognizing this, the Catholic Church of Malawi has taken a proactive stance by organizing training sessions to show its commitment to the fight against violence towards women and girls.
“The church finds itself among people, and we take a human being as both spirit and body. If we focus
only on the spirit part, then we are making a mistake because these issues of gender-based violence affect
people both physically and psychologically, and if that happens, they can’t effectively participate in the
developmental activities of the church and community,” said Father Chitha.
The training empowered participants to recognize and challenge harmful practices in their communities.
For many women, it was a great experience because they were equipped with the knowledge to advocate
for their rights and the courage to break cycles of silence and abuse. One participant, Olivia Gausi from
Dedza Diocese, shared her perspective: “It is very important for me as a woman to participate in such
trainings because then it will be easy for me to avoid it and help my fellow women who are affected by
gender-based violence. Now, I will be coming out of this training as an advocate.”
Ending gender-based violence has been a persistent call to action, but the time for mere words is over; it
is now time for bold and collective action. Organizations like the Telezian Sisters and the Catholic Women’s Association are already on the ground, supporting victims and championing this cause.
As we mark these 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, let this period remind us that such violence has no place in our society. Everyone must rally behind these efforts to build a safer, more equitable nation and continent for all.
The writer is a Development Communication Specialist based in Lilongwe, Malawi.
