MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-High Court Judge, Fiona Mwale, has deplored incessant challenges that women and girls in the country face in their quest to access justice.
Speaking on Saturday during a public enquiry on violence against women and girls at Senior Chief Mwakaoko in Karonga, Judge Mwale said continuous postponement of court sessions and lack of financial muscle are some of the factors derailing the fight against lack of justice; particularly for women and girls.
“When they do go to court, sometimes they cannot receive the case right; there is prejudice against women. Women are not getting the justice that they deserve because of mentality and attitude and we also heard here because of corruption,” said she.
Mwale also disclosed that long distances that women and girls have to cover in their struggle for justice also discourage them from fighting for justice.
Echoing similar sentiments, Commissioner for Malawi Human Rights Commission, Dr Beza Sefu, said all stakeholders have to join hands to fight for justice for women and girls who suffer much more when it comes to violence.
Sefu said: “We came to Iponga Primary School to do inquiry on children; especially children and women. The justice they get when they go to court or police and other communities which are supposed to give them help when they are in trouble. What we have realized is women suffer a lot; when they go to get justice, they don’t get it.”
Reports indicate that most women and girls in the rural set ups are silent victims of domestic violence and defilement respectively.
