UNFPA to Fund Women's Businesses in Mangochi to Combat GBV
The UNFPA-supported youth trainings, which concluded on June 28, 2024, provided a forum for young people and local leaders to discuss GBV, conflict resolution, and related issues.
MANGOCHI, Malawi— The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) plans to provide seed money to women's youth clubs, known as Safe Spaces, in Mangochi district to combat gender-based violence (GBV) through economic empowerment, writes Francis Polinyu Banda.
The initiative, announced during recent youth trainings supported by UNFPA, aims to help club members start businesses and achieve financial independence.
Laston Chikopa, Assistant District Gender Officer for Mangochi, praised the program, noting that many GBV cases in the district stem from women's financial dependence on their spouses.
"Most young ladies who formed these clubs have gone through various degrees of abuses in the hands of their spouses," Chikopa said.
"Some have lived in dehumanizing conditions to the extent that they chose to separate from their husbands."
Chikopa emphasized that the seed money arrives at a crucial time, as many women in Mangochi face numerous abuses, including unwanted polygamous marriages due to poverty.
The district's gender office is also collaborating with "male champions" to address GBV issues comprehensively.
Mangochi faces unique challenges, with many women suffering in silence as their husbands work as fishermen or seek employment in Mozambique and South Africa, often remarrying and abandoning their families.
The UNFPA-supported youth trainings, which concluded on June 28, 2024, provided a forum for young people and local leaders to discuss GBV, conflict resolution, and related issues.
This initiative represents a targeted approach to addressing GBV by empowering women economically, potentially reducing their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation.