Gender based violence cases in Dedza causes worry

Dedza Police Station has registered over 380 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in 2017, something which has worried local authorities.

Dedza police station public relations officer sub inspector Edward Kabango expressed worry over the number of cases  in an interview  with Malawi24 on Saturday.

This comes in as countries across the globe were in 16 days of activism against gender based violence which ended on Monday(11/12/17).

Kabango said police have been receiving gender based violence complaints mostly from women.

He said most men shun reporting the cases as they are the ones at the forefront in breaching the country’s laws on gender based violence.

“We believe most men are perpetrators not victims that is why there are more women than men reporting the cases,” Kabango said.

He then called upon all men in the country to seek guidance from marriage counsellors when family misunderstandings arise in order to prevent future cases of gender based violence.

“As police the message we have is that they should seek assistance from marriage counsellors or other elders when they have problems in their families because beating their wives is an offence,” he said.

He added that: “Men should ensure that they should not abuse alcohol as it has been established as the major contributing factor to gender based violence in the district.”

Commenting on the development, Dedza district social welfare officer Hellen Simwaka admitted that the district is facing a lot of gender based violence cases.

Simwaka said: “It is really true that in Dedza we have a lot of incidences of gender based violence, as an office we have facilitated formation of community based structures  such as children corners, child protection committees and community based organisations which are assisting a lot in combating GBV incidences.”

She added that the office is conducting awareness campaigns inorder to end gender based violence in the district.

She also disclosed that the social welfare office is working with various government departments and non governmental organisations in making sure that children below the age of 18 are not getting married.

In her remarks, Magistrate Enet jiya Banda of Dedza magistrate court said gender based violence is a trend which yields a lot of negative effects in the society hence people should fight against the malpractice.

“Gender based violence leads to disabilities, deaths and it makes people to relocate to new places where they feel they can be secure. Let’s avoid gender based violence, everyone is a human being and has rights and responsibilities as God proclaimed to human beings,” Banda said.