By Austine Kachilika

Mzimba, August 29, Mana: Executive Director for Coalition for the Empowerment of Women and Girls (CEWAG), Beatrice Chisomo Mateyu says empowering women economically is one of the effective measures of protecting them from gender based violence (GBV).  

Speaking on Tuesday, during a meeting aimed at promoting coordination and integration to enhance referral systems in addressing violence against women and girls, Mateyu said women who are not economically empowered fail to leave abusive marriages.

She said CEWAG is implementing various interventions in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzikubola in Mzimba, aimed at uplifting the economic wellbeing of women in the area.

“Through interventions like male champions trainings, tailoring, business management lessons, loans and savings and livestock pass-on, women can fend for themselves without being exposed to exploitation,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries of the interventions, Charity Langa from Inkosi Mzikubola hailed CEWAG for equipping her with tailoring skills that have enabled her to support herself economically.

CEWAG is implementing the interventions in collaboration with Coalition of Women Living with HIV/AIDS with support from African Women Development Fund.

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