Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare Mary Navicha has said poverty and economic dependence are exposing many women to gender-based violence (GBV), as they rely on their husbands for financial support.
Navicha said women who are not economically empowered often struggle to escape abusive relationships because their partners are the family’s main breadwinners. She stressed that economic independence is key to reducing GBV.
The minister said organisations implementing anti-GBV programmes should integrate economic empowerment initiatives into their interventions to help women become financially self-reliant.
She made the remarks on Wednesday in Balaka during a visit to appreciate the progress of the Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza (PKN) programme being implemented by a consortium comprising the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WORLEC), Girls Empowerment Network (GENET), and Human Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities.
Speaking during the visit, WORLEC Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda said a baseline survey conducted at the start of the project revealed that 60 percent of married women in the project’s implementation area had experienced gender-based violence.
Kathewera Banda said the figure is significantly higher than the current national prevalence rate of 42 percent, highlighting the need for intensified interventions in the district.
She, however, said the project is beginning to make a positive impact, with more survivors now reporting cases of gender-based violence to relevant authorities instead of suffering in silence.
The Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza programme is being implemented with financial support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and aims to strengthen the prevention of GBV while improving access to justice and support services for survivors in Balaka District.
