BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) Executive Director MacBain Mkandawire has criticized the government for neglecting the protection and welfare of children in the country.
Speaking in Lilongwe during a workshop for Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) on Saturday, Mkandawire highlighted significant gaps in child protection, citing the absence of child development officers in many districts and inadequate funding.
In contrast, Deputy Director for Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender Justin Hamela defended the government’s efforts, stating that child protection initiatives are progressing well.
This comes comes as the country prepares to commemorate the Day of the African Child on June 16, 2025.
Malawi has over 10 million children aged 0–17 years and 60.5 per cent of them are experiencing multiple vulnerabilities.
Children make up half of the country’s population, and adolescents (aged 10–19 years) make up nearly a quarter of the population.
In 2023, the country stood among the top five Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries grappling with the highest percentage of children subjected to various forms of abuse, according to the recently released Afrobarometer scorecards.
The statistics placed Angola at the forefront with 54 percent of its children facing abuse, followed by Botswana at 48 percent, Namibia at 42 percent, Malawi at 41 percent and Lesotho at 40 percent.
In contrast, Tanzania recorded the lowest percentage at 16 percent.