By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, October 1, Mana: Stakeholders in Chitipa District have asked the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare to consider construction of safer homes for Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors in the district.

YouthNet and Counselling (YONECO) District Manager for Chitipa, Dunreck Pande, made the call Tuesday during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting organized to disseminate the National Male Engagement Strategy (NMES), which is funded by UNAIDS.

Pande said that GBV survivors are subjected to other abuses in the absence of district safer homes.

“As a district we need safer homes for GBV survivors so that they can be in a safer place,” Pande appealed.

Director responsible for Gender Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Alice Mkandawire, pointed out that safer homes are important not only in Chitipa District but the country as a whole.

Mkandawire said safer homes are a big issue in every district of the country and the government alone cannot afford to construct them in every district.

“As stakeholders you can mobilise support from community, partners, and even district councils to come up with safer homes for Gender Based Violence survivors,” Mkandawire said.

She then appealed to the stakeholders to unite and do something for the GBV survivors in Chitipa district.

The government of Malawi formulated the strategy aimed at promoting involvement of men and boys in ending GBV and reducing HIV/AIDS, increasing uptake of sexual reproductive health rights services and promoting gender equality among women, men, girls and boys.