.){kind=link}
Malawi: Village Head, Madalisto Saidi has expressed concern over increasing number of cases and reports of gender-based violence (GBV). The head of the of area 22 in Lilongwe has expressed that she is working hard to address the issue in her community.
Saidi spoke to the Malawi News Agency where she highlighted that her office receives numerous reports of women and girls rights being violated.
She highlighted she receives these reports almost on a regular basis, with over 20 cases reported in recent weeks.
“We receive these cases every day, and it’s challenging for us to handle them at the community level,” Saidi lamented.
She has asked  gender-based violence specialists to help them educate the community on the dangers of GBV. She also urged the district administration to help establish effective punishments to curb the vice.
“We need help to teach our people about the dangers of GBV and set punishments that will help reduce these cases,” She pleaded.
The village head said they have been referring GVB cases to the Victim Support Unit but noted that follow-up actions have been lacking. A survivor of gender-based violence who asked to remain anonymous shared her story.
She said she had been assaulted by her husband and her 15-year old marriage turned sour. She shared that this happened when her husband secured a job and began mistreating her and their four children.
“He would beat me up for no reason, chase me out of the house at night, and even cheat on me with several women,” she lamented.
She said her situation escalated to the point where she was hospitalized for days after a brutal beating. Despite being the sole breadwinner, her husband refused to contribute to the household expenses.
She said she finally made a difficult decision to divorce the husband and leave the house for fear of being killed.
“I want to urge other women in similar situations to seek help and not suffer in silence,” she appealed.
According to a 2020 survey by UNICEF, 42% of women in Malawi have experienced physical violence from a partner at some point in their lives. This figure is higher than the global average of 27%.