Maravipost iReport: The country’s Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has intensified an awareness campaign on minority rights groups including gays and lesbians in a bid to stop the general public discriminating them while curbing the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
CHRR’s Public Section Training Coordinator Michael Kaiyatsa campaign was addressing communities of Mwawulambo village in the Traditional Authority (T.A) Kyungu in the northern district of Karonga who applauded the Malawi government for recognizing the presence of gays and lesbians in the country.
With funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy the meeting aimed at encouraging people to stop discriminating gays and lesbians and people living with HIV/AIDS to curb the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
“Research has revealed that discrimination against homosexuals, prostitutes and people living with HIV/AIDS is one of the main contributing factors towards the continual spread of HIV/AIDS. This is the reason we are in this campaign of raising awareness among the general public.
“Homosexuals do not enjoy fully their rights because the laws of the country restrict them to do so, a scenario that encourage them to exercise their rights in secret which in turn hinder them to access information pertaining the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
“However, we commended the Malawian government for recognizing the presence of gays and lesbians in the country thus to complement government’s efforts to protect gays and lesbians in the country CHRR has initiated various programmes to educate people so they know the rights of homosexuals, prostitutes and those living with HIV/AIDS.
Such rights include right to life, food and association”, said Kaiyatsa.
Concurring with Kaiyatsa, Reverend Father Lesley Mtekateka of Anglican Church who is also chairman of Public Affairs Committee (PAC) says the primary goal of the program is to reduce the spread of HIV infection.
“In order to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS the church must realize the presence of minority groups within it, which includes gays and lesbians. Homosexuals must be accommodated in our society”, said Reverend Mtekateka.
However village headman Mwaulambo of Traditional Authority (T.A) Kyungu who was among the notable figures during the event described negative attitude towards homosexuals as a taboo and unethical which he can never allow in his area.
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