The Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare has emphasized the importance of having functional families in achieving social and economic development in Malawi.
Deputy Minister Halima Daud said intact families foster a conducive environment for progress, contributing to the country’s growth and development.
Speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Families in Lilongwe, Daud highlighted the ministry’s commitment to inclusivity and meaningful participation of all families in national development processes. She emphasized the importance of family unity, especially in the context of urbanization.
MacBen Mkandawire, Executive Director of Youth Net and Counselling, echoed Daud’s sentiments, saying there is a need to strengthen the family unit to enhance development.
George Kaphamtengo, a 43-year married man from Mtandire in Lilongwe, attributed his family unity to tolerance, mutual understanding, and love.
He believes that peace in the home is crucial for success in business and other development activities.
The International Day of Families brought together stakeholders, including SOS Children’s Villages, Save the Children, and World Relief Malawi, to discuss the importance of family unity and its impact on development.
The event highlighted the need for families to be supported and strengthened to contribute to Malawi’s growth and development.
In a country where family ties are deeply valued, promoting functional families can have a positive impact on social and economic development.
By working together to support families, Malawi can build a stronger and more resilient society.
LILONGWE-(MANA)-Gender experts have expressed concern over ever increasing cases of gender based violence (GBV) despite efforts to curb the vice.
The gender experts made these remarks in Dowa during a media orientation on Gender based violence (GBV) and their role in the 16 days of activism against GBV.
Principal Gender and Development Officer, who is also National GBV Program Coordinator in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Joseph Kalelo, said it’s time to reflect on what the country has achieved to stop GBV in the past 30 years.
“We are targeting uncharred territories; we are no longer taking business as usual. The private sector, traditional leaders, the clergy and everyone else is challenged to assess themselves what role they have played in perpetuating or stopping GBV in the country,” Kalelo said.
He added that it’s the concern of the ministry to on daily basis read on GBV reports mostly committed by people who should have been in fore-front protecting the survivors.
Chairperson of the GBV Permanent Committee in the NGO-Gender Coordination Network Tiyamike Jimu, said 34 per cent of women and girls aged between 15 to 49 face physical or sexual abuse in lifetime according to 2016 report by National Statistics Office, which she was very worrisome.
“Now 40 to 50 per cent of women and girls experienced sexual harassment of some sought according to ITUC M2019 report. Seven per cent women are sexually assaulted by other men over than their spouses or boyfriends.
“More worrisomely 243 women and girls and girls are victims of physical and sexual abuse that is according to World Health Organization, and in Malawi 34 per cent
GBV leads to increased cases of school dropouts, HIV and AIDS, poverty poor productivity and poor contribution to national development.
Malawi Police Victim Support Desk Officer Gift Likoswe encouraged victims and survivors to report GBV cases to the 364 victim support units’ facilities spread across the country.
“We provide professional counselling in a private and confidential environment. Police is very committed to work all stakeholders to deal with the vice.
“It’s unfortunate that GBV remain a challenge, police recorded 10675 cases from January to July in 2021, while the same period in 2020, we recorded 110311 GBV cases, representing 5.6 per cent drop, cases range from physical, sexual, economic and emotional abuse amongst many.
“In 2020 police recorded sexual violence related cases 834, and in 2021 977 cases were recorded between January to July representing, 58.53 per cent increase.
He said defilement figures toll high, citing negligence and ignorance of the law being a major cause of perpetuation of the GBV cases in the country.
“We have introduced a toll free line 932 to report on GBV cases, apart from enhanced media campaigns to counter this vice, that is flourishing in the societies.
He then appealed for assistance to train officers and transport to respond to cases with speed.
The orientation aims at outlining a public engagement strategy for the 2021 16 days of activism that will run from 25 November to 10 December, which is a global call to action against GBV.
This year’s 2021 campaign marks 30 years of action, and is been held under the theme ‘end violence against women and girls act now’.
Richard Chakhame, director of Planning and Research in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, addressing delegates
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-There are increasing concerns that some local and international Non-Novernmental Organizations (NGOs) in Malawi have concentrated their interventions in the corners of some districts, leaving in the cold many other equally troubled communities across the country.
NGOs are reportedly shunning certain areas due to, among others, mismatch of their interests and priorities with those of councils and local structures.
It is also alleged that some places are hard and costly to reach for some NGOs and, therefore, they want to focus in areas where they can achieve quick gains and results.
These concerns have prompted the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Board of Malawi–a state owned registrar and regulator of NGOs and civil society organizations–to start developing a concept note which seeks to harmonize the interventions of all NGOs and align them to District Development Plans (DDPs).
The board held a consultative meeting in the Capital Lilongwe–drawing together NGO representatives, directors of planning from district councils and top officials from ministries of gender and local government–to brainstorm and agree how NGOs interventions in districts can be harmonized.
The NGO board, in this undertaking, is working in collaboration with the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi (Congoma)–a membership umbrella organisation and coordinating body for NGOs–which has acknowledged the concerns and agrees they could be addressed collectively.
Speaking in an interview with Maravi Post, the chief executive officer of the NGO Board of Malawi, Voice Mhone, said the problem of lack of harmonization among NGOs is very serious and requires immediate solution.
“The development partners off budget support to NGOs, which is over 60 perfect of the country’s annual budget, is not evenly distributed. Only pockets of some districts are covered. Some communities are disadvantaged and their right to development is trampled upon.
“So we do not want NGOs to stray too much like maybe working in ten districts and in each district only targeting two Traditional Authorities. We want to see an NGO probably working in one district or all NGOs working in one district covering the whole district,” said Mhone.
Mhone added that the government of Malawi, through the board, wants to see NGOs coordinating, connecting and aligning their proposals and projects to priorities in DDPs and engaging local councils and grassroot people in a bottom up approach.
“We want to see, for instance, all NGOs dealing with water projects to come together at district level and deal with issues of water across the district. Some going this corner. Others going that corner. The same thing would apply, let us say on projects to do with hunger and many other issues,” he said.
Taking his turn, Congoma executive director, Ronald Mtonga, concurred with Mhone, adding that councils and local structures must be strengthened in order to enhance their roles to encourage joint proposals and planning.
However, Mtonga said there may be indisputable factors that could lead to lack of harmonization and weak coordination between NGOs and local councils and among NGOs themselves.
“NGOs, by law and policy of local government, are supposed to have their plans and projects approved by local councils. So it is expected that when they go there, they must get the information and services they require. But, sometimes, they find data is not available. They find some staff working in acting capacity and cannot make decisions. Vacant rates are very high in some councils which affects efficiency. In fact, the development of DDPs is, sometimes, a problem in councils,” he said.
One of the participants, Director of Planning and Development for Blantyre District Council, Tamanya Harawa, commended the Government of Malawi and NGO board for coming up with the harmonization initiative, saying it will really help.
“If we start planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating and developing proposals together, making the data available, fostering evidence based kind of planning and support–we will address the problem of lack of harmonization and weak coordination,” said Harawa.
And Director of Planning and Research in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Richard Chakhame–said his ministry, Ministry of Local Government, NGO Board and Congoma–will work together to ensure that the concept note on harmonization of interventions of NGOs is thoroughly done in order to accomplish its objectives.
“There is need for the involvement of even more stakeholders like the National Local Government Finance Committee in terms of lobbying for more resources for the councils to be able to monitor the implementation of NGO programs and document the best practices and achievements that are being made on the ground,” Chakhame said.
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