By Promise Banda

Chiradzulu, December 8, Mana: Chairperson for Chiradzulu District Council, Patrick Chimtengo has urged people in the district to report cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) to relevant authorities to curb the malpractice.

Chintengo made the appeal over the weekend during the launch of 16 Days of Gender Activism which took place at Goleka Catholic Primary School ground under the theme: "Unite to end violence against women and girls in Malawi: Towards Beijing +30".

He said as the country and the rest of the world join hands in fighting against GBV, everyone must take the initiative to end all forms of violence within their localities.

Chimtengo, who was the Guest of honour at the event, expressed worry that this year alone Chiradzulu has recorded 1,907 cases of GBV, most of which were in form of rape and forced marriage.

"Victims of GBV cannot effectively contribute to the development of the country. That is why it is our duty to report all forms of violence to relevant authorities so that we end the trends of GBV once and for all,” he said.

Chiradzulu District Council Gender Officer, Joseph Maseya observed that the launch was vital for sensitizing the community on ending GBV in the district.

“Our role as the gender office is to make sure that we end all forms of violence in our district, and these include GBV, intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation and abuse,” he said.

Chiradzulu Police Station representative, Sub-Inspector Tabitha Chipeta, emphasized that they will work vigilantly to make sure that the perpetrators of GBV were punished accordingly.

“We will make sure we go round all areas in the district arresting people involved in perpetrating child marriages and other forms of GBV,” she said.

One of the Chiradzulu Youth Organization (CYO) pioneers Brenda Chimange admitted that it is the role of the youth to be in the forefront in civic educating their fellow youths on the effects of GBV towards community development.

The function was graced by traditional leaders, government officials, various non-governmental organizations and community members.

It begun with a solidarity walk from Yasin Police Roadblock to Goleka Catholic Primary School ground where the launch took place.