Malawi
Shelter for battered women opened in Malawi

Misanet.com / The Chronicle, 26 March - Realising the need for having open dialogue with the victims of Gender-based violence like rape and wife battering among others, the Society for the Advancement of Women (SAW) in Malawi's capital Lilongwe last week opened a shelter that will house, counsel and provide legal assistance to the victims of gender based violence.

The shelter, the first of its kind in Malawi, located at SAW's premises in Area 9, will provide an avenue through which the victims of violence can openly express their problems so as to find appropriate and long lasting solutions.

Executive Director of SAW Catherine Munthali said the opening of the shelter is the realisation of a dream. Women suffer from all sorts of injustices and we have come across those injustices face to face here at SAW and were at times unable to assist, Munthali said adding that domestic violence is an injustice that cannot be allowed to happen to women. 

The shelter receives funding from the government of New Zealand and legal assistance from the Global Fund for Women from USA. Their legal practitioners are Chizumila, Kalasa and Company.

Gender Minister Mary Kaphwereza Banda said she had also visited shelters of the same sort in USA, advised SAW to put maximum effort to the fruition of the shelter. "Lets not pretend that we can do things which we can't. There is need that you work hard in this project," said Banda.

She said the shelter is not there to take over the role of marriage counsellors but rather to cement marriages which could be on the brink of collapse. "Somebody who is beaten somewhere will come here for help. It is a home for every Malawian either from the village or town."

Lonely Mlumbe, the Chairperson of the organisation emphasised the need for understanding of the whole concept of the shelter. She said the shelter is not a means of breaking up families but, "to have an understanding society" where there should be respect for rights.

SAW is also set to open another shelter in Mpingwe, Blantyre (Malawi's second town) in April. The victims who number six at the moment, stay at the shelter for two weeks while they receive counselling and other help.

The new deputy Reserve Bank Governor, Bingu wa Mutharika donated K30,000 for the work of SAW to help in the functioning of the shelter.

By Chikondi Chiyembekeza, The Chronicle

© The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe, Malawi)    You can contact afrol at mail@afrol.com