Govt slams foreigners for perpetuating gender violence

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Patricia Kaliati

Malawi government through the ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has condemned foreigners for perpetuating gender-based violence in the country.

According to the ministry, many foreigners are reported to have been involved in gender-based violence in Malawi.

Patricia Kaliati
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Speaking to the local press, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati warned all perpetrators of gender-based violence that her ministry will drag them to court.

Kaliati further blamed Malawi Police for not enforcing laws that protect women from gender-based violence in the country.

“It is very sad to note that Police officers are fuelling gender violence by releasing people arrested for gender violence, right now I have involved the IG (Inspector General) to investigate the case of an Asian man who was released on bail by the police at night in Lilongwe,” said Kaliati.

According to a study on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) for females, prevalence of different types of IPV in Malawi appeared slightly lower than that reported for other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The study further revealed that 13% reported emotional violence; 20% reported being pushed, shaken, slapped or punched; 3% reported experiencing severe violence, such as being strangled or burned, threatened with a knife, gun or with another weapon; and 13% reported sexual violence.