There are fears among women in Malawi as whistleblowers have revealed how thousands others are being ill-treated and forced into prostitution in countries in the Middle East where they are taken to work by government officials including ministers.
Most of the worried women include those who are jobless and opt to pick the jobs outside Malawi because employers there would allow them to get training before they work as some of the adverts claim. 
Over the week, one of the country’s newspapers carried a story which made revelations of how women are being subjected to ill-treatment outside Malawi.
Recently, there have also been adverts in the media calling upon Malawian women to travel to places like Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuwait among others where they could work as Air Hostesses, Chefs, and Receptionists, jobs which they would normally get trained on prior to being hired.
Malawi24 understands that with unemployment rates on the rise in Malawi and the cost of living surging day in day out, most people have been attracted to apply and some Malawians are working in such places, but women unlike men have been hit hard.
Investigations the paper made stated that while outside Malawi, for example in Kuwait, the ladies are told to work as sex workers in drinking joints and they go unpaid for months.
It is said that when they get to the Middle East, the traffickers confiscate their travel documents so that they do not run away before sending them off to various places where they are told what to do.
According to reports, a Burundian national working as a medical doctor at KCH and two Malawians including Flora Gondwe who works at the Ministry of Information have been behind the ring.
“Gondwe and the other Malawians who we have not been able to trace collect women’s medical reports and submit them to the DRC national commonly known as Fatiki who communicates with an agent in Kuwait who finally sends the air tickets.
“This is when Dr Eugene Kayisile, the Burundi national, conducts the examinations including HIV tests. This doctor is working at the hospital’s outpatient medical department (OPD2),’’ the report said.
But speaking to Malawi24 in a vox pop conducted on Sunday, women across the streets of Blantyre said that the move is wiping away the dignity of Malawian women.
While urging authorities to act with urgency on the matter, some of them said that it would also be important for government to create employment opportunities for people in Malawi.
A lady who wanted to be identified as Miriam told this reporter that the blame should be on government.
“Why are they silent on this? Despite those reports, our fellow Malawians are suffering in South Africa and other countries, because at least there they are making ends meet, unlike here where even cheap labour jobs are scarce.
“On the part of training, our technical institutions lack equipment and that on itself is a problem. Someone goes to do mechanics but finishes without hands on experience. Do you expect that person to get a job out there?’’ She wondered.
Miriam blamed politicians for not helping Malawians, for not taking the welfare of Malawians a heart and for being greedy.
The other women interviewed also said that this could be a learning platform for other people, not only women, who could be enticed to work outside Malawi under similar agents.
Much as the issue of labour export started way back in the 1990s when Malawians flocked to countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe where they worked in the mines, the situation has not lately changed.
Most of the youthful population in Malawi is trekking to South Africa where they attain cheap labour jobs and earn a living.
This has largely been blamed on unemployment.
According to Trading Economics Website, Unemployment Rate in Malawi increased to 6.60 percent in 2013 from 3 percent in 2011. Unemployment Rate in Malawi averaged 4.90 percent from 2005 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 7 percent in 2005 and a record low of 3 percent in 2007.
Last year thousands of Malawians were repatriated into the country after a series of attacks on foreigners in South Africa.
At the moment, the Malawi government says it is working towards addressing the concerns about human trafficking and labour exports.
172 thoughts on “Malawian women living in fear”
Comments are closed.
So when someone leaves malawi with his/her passport n transport is called trafficking, chizungu chavuta
Ulimi
Ulimi
malawians are naturally born slaves, its genetic don’t bother changing what the deooxyribonucleic acid dna formed. In malawi private companies they work for less than US$100per mnth. I feel pit for the them in joburg- they can work in 8hours what 2 pple could do in 3days. they are afraid of whites I don’t know it’s bcoz they’re used to seeing indians back home. Donald Truimph said it blacks are good ta making noise, dances and sex- let them enjoy it read Towera’s comment. They like it
malawians are naturally born slaves, its genetic don’t bother changing what the deooxyribonucleic acid dna formed. In malawi private companies they work for less than US$100per mnth. I feel pit for the them in joburg- they can work in 8hours what 2 pple could do in 3days. they are afraid of whites I don’t know it’s bcoz they’re used to seeing indians back home. Donald Truimph said it blacks are good ta making noise, dances and sex- let them enjoy it read Towera’s comment. They like it
What can be done? Is to permanetly delete all of u greedy leaders who think Malawi is there for u and not for Malawians, oneday mukayankha milandu kwamulungu m’mangoba ndalama zaboma zimene u were suppose to open up government companys and employ young people instead mumata? Stealing,DEMN anthu oyipa inu.
Shasha ndi dollars….
Malawi ndi dziko lokoma zedi koma satana adamva pemphero lathu la national anthem kuti”….Njala,nthenda,sanje”.Njala siikutha,umphawi,matenda osatha,sanje ziri thoo!Tiike national day of prayer and fasting ndi atsogoleri athu tipemphe Mulungu atithandize.Zose ndizotheka.
Xivayani kunja tisalemo ochepa muno.. supply ya skilled labour ichepe
This iz stupt issue & no sense, aliyense amapanga zinthu zoti zimuthandize.kodi tanthauzo laufulu ndi chanii?
This iz stupt issue & no sense, aliyense amapanga zinthu zoti zimuthandize.kodi tanthauzo laufulu ndi chanii?
Tngs r hard in Malawi evn if ther r graduates,stl no jobs.yet too much money was put on university n other institution trainn colleges.haaaa nde bas ndwautali ku Middle East
vito mdlot ntchto mkumalembana pachibare, ndye amene alibe m,bale wake oti ali pantchito atani? angopita kunja komweko.
Our leaders r greedy instead ov transfomin malawi 2 b a bettr place 2 live,they r bsy accumulatin worthy 4 themselves.
Dats a gud post Admin…., dos tings r real & l can testify bout dat!! “Malawian women take care”
Deliberate policy to empower those willing to work do business in Malawi.Still it’s one’s choice and will.
Hahahaha sooo you think the problem of unemployment can be solved now cause of this whole abroad job chan chani …..if malawi can’t provide jobs for people you think people are gonna wait for job availability hahaha nde 2070tu … people can’t wait till 2070 because ana athu njala ikiwapweteka panopo… koma enna ake alibe puloblemu akubabe ndrama zachitukuko
Ineso ndikufuna mtapita ku dubai coz mabuno apa jon wa ayamba chipongwe polipira
Kodi palibe amapanga human trafficking ya ku japan? Bwelani muzandipange human trafficking ndalongeza kale.
Nane ndikufuna kupita ku Kuwait or Dubai, lets talk ku inbox please. Malawi z becoming more poorer than it was 20 yrs ago.inu muli kunja simunalakwise kuno kumakhala ngati ku mortuary kulira daily. Eish Exit Malawi Enter middle east.
I wanna follow U! malawi eeiiishhsh.
true to your wordz ccta me too am gng to london soon,it’s so painful to stay in malawi.
but Towera are ready to be a sex slave- then u’re a wasted nyt ma dia
but Towera are ready to be a sex slave- then u’re a wasted nyt ma dia
I don’t believe in hearsay, ndikazionele ndekha ngati nditakakhale sex slave? Kuzolowela ulesi basi thats why tikapita mayiko amnzathu timaona ngati tikuzunzika, no food for a lazy man, kuno tizingokhalila kugwilana ufiti ndi satanic?
I don’t believe in hearsay, ndikazionele ndekha ngati nditakakhale sex slave? Kuzolowela ulesi basi thats why tikapita mayiko amnzathu timaona ngati tikuzunzika, no food for a lazy man, kuno tizingokhalila kugwilana ufiti ndi satanic?