Traditional leaders in Machinga district have commended Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM) for training them on how to deal with gender based violence and early marriages claiming there are now reduced cases.
Some months ago CRECCOM trained chiefs, traditional leaders, and religious leaders from Paramount Chief Kawinga in Machinga on how to end gender based violence and early marriages which have been rampant in the district.
The training which was held through Spotlight Male Engagement project, funded by the UN Women was also targeted at improving men’s involvement in the fight against gender based violence and early marriages.
According to authorities, it was noted that men are not fully engaged in the fight against gender based violence hence the training which was called Barbershop ToolKit.
Speaking after a Spotlight Initiative joint monitoring visit at Machinga District Council, one of the beneficiaries of the training, Group Village Head Majawisha said the training has reduced cases of gender based violence.
Majawisha said gender-based violence and early marriages have been reduced in his village using the skills and knowledge from barbershop toolkit training saying that male involvement on such issues used to be a problem but has now improved.
“Gender-based violence and early marriages among girls and women used to be very high but after receiving the training, I have managed to end four early marriages and I have approached 237 females and 150 males with gender-based violence massages,” said Group Village Head Majawisha.
Concurrently, another beneficiary Reverend Misheck Nkumbadzala of Mbenjere CCAP said that the training has as well helped to reduce gender violence among members of his church.
Mkumbadzala said following the training members of his church have expressed commitment to fighting the violence claiming they introduced meetings every Sundays where they discuss different ways of curbing gender-based violence in their society.
In her remarks, Spotlight Initiative Coordinator Teemar Kidane commended the community leaders for attending the training and CRECCOM for organizing it claiming it has a great impact on the society.
“Chiefs and community leaders as well as CRECCOM have played a vital role on this project by empowering people of different age groups to take as their responsibility the fight against gender based violence and early marriages,” said Kidane
