MALAWI: Gender-based Violence Worries Catholic Nuns

Luke Chimwaza

Catholic Sisters have expressed worry over the rise in cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. This was said during a three-day annual workshop held at Nantipwiri Pastoral Centre in Thyolo, Blantyre Archdiocese.

The workshop which brought together 35 nuns from different congregations across Malawi focused on gender-based violence as an issue which reports show is rampant in most communities where the Sisters are working.

Participants to the workshop were Catholic Sisters who are undergoing various tertiary courses at the Catholic University of Malawi under Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) program which is under the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC) project of the Association of Women in Religious Institutes of Malawi (AWRIM)

ASEC’s Country Coordinator Sr Theresa Mulenga said the HESA project is a response to the increase in cases of gender-based and child abuse issues in different communities where the Sisters are working.

“It appears gender-based violence and child abuse is now ‘a pandemic’ affecting people in all aspects of life. That is why we gathered these nuns who are working at the grassroots level of the communities, in schools and hospitals to be equipped with knowledge on this issue so that they can ably handle them and play a role in liberating the people from this ‘pandemic’ through their apostolates,” she said.

According to the Gender Development Officer in the Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare Lirani Hannah Katutu who facilitated the training, gender-based violence needs combined efforts to be effectively dealt with. She has called upon all other Religious institutions to take play a role.

“We all know that Catholics are the majority of the Christian population in the country and their approach to evangelization is holistic. Catholic nuns are everywhere working with different people of different ages. I believe this training has targeted the right people who have an impact not only among Catholics but people of all faiths. I appeal to all other church and religious groups to take part in this fight against gender related violence and child abuse,” she said.

Commenting on the training, Sr. Marian Billiat of the Missionaries of Mary Mediatrics who is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Nursing and Midwifery at the Catholic University hailed HESA program and described the training as timely and an eye opener.

ASEC is running the project with funding from the Hilton Foundation.