Violence Against Women
Source: OnIslam
Malawi Muslim women are mobilizing themselves to advocate for the enforcement of harsher penalties against perpetrators of Gender Based Violence (GBV), seeing them as the only means to minimize escalating rates of the social problem.
"Despite the existence of laws which criminalize gender based violence in the country, there are rising incidences of GBV. Women and children are dying silently in this country due to violence," Fatima Ndaila, National Chairperson of the Muslim Women Organization, told OnIslam.net.
"This situation has compelled us to take an action. We are trying to lobby the judiciary and lawmakers to enforce stiffer penalties for perpetrators of violence against women. We believe this is the only way we can guarantee safety of women in the country. The present situation is quite worrying."
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Concerned about the situation in Malawi, Ndaila said they plan to contact lawmakers to enforce new laws against gender-based abuse.
"What we are doing is sharing our concerns with people who make laws and those who enforce them. We are appealing to all Malawians of goodwill to join us in this cause," she said.
"This is not about Muslims and Islam. It's about the life of women which is at stake.
"We should all join hands and eliminate GBV in our midst. Malawians of diverse religious views should stand side by side to make Malawi a safe haven for both women and children," said Ndaila.
She warned that some people aren't afraid to perpetrate violence against women and children because the courts in the country were lenient when passing out penalties.
"Most of these penalties aren't enough to provide stern lessons to offenders; as a result, they continue subjecting women and children to untold suffering," she said.
"It is for this reason that we have been compelled to take an action to address this situation."
Noble Cause
The government of Malawi has welcomed the initiative describing it as a "noble cause."
"As government, we are very much concerned wth rising incidences of GBV in the country. The figures are quite alarming. Much as we can't interfere in the operation of the judiciary, we commend this initiative," Patricia Kaliati, Minsiter of Gender, Community Services and Social Welfare told OnIslam.net.
"This is a noble cause, which as a nation, ought to support. We need to rise above religion and save lives of women and children regardless of where they fo for worship.
"As a mother and a woman, I'm very much disturbed at a rate, we are losing women and children in this country due to violence. Women and children aren't safe right in their homes and in the society. Some men have made the life of women unbearable. This initiative therefore is a path towards addressing this trend," said Kaliati.
"My ministry, will support all measures, some sectors of the society are implementing towards protecting the lives of women and children in this country. We share the pain of those who are being victimized. We stand with them in solidarity."
Concurring with Ndaila, Seodi White, former Country Director for Women and Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) Malawi Chapter, noted that weak areas of the law were exacerbating GBV in the country.
"At WILSA, we have all along been advocating for enactment of stiffer penalties towards perpetrators of GBV. What we have discovered is that some men were taking advantage of weaker areas of the law to unleash terror on women," White, a renowned lawyer and gender activist, told OnIslam.net.
"There is an escalation of violence against women and children in Malawi because our laws are very soft. This has created a fertile ground for violence to flourish."
White added: "As a nation, we should therefore, join this cause to advocate for stern penalties for the perpetrators, otherwise, women will live persistently in fear. Some of the penalties the courts were giving out to offenders were a mockery to the dignity of women."
About 2 years ago, the Malawi government enacted laws criminalizing GBV. However, despite the existence of such laws, the social problem is still on the rise in the country.
The government of Malawi has welcomed the initiative describing it as a “noble cause.”
Muslim Support
Sheikh Muhammad Idrissa, National Chairperson of Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) applauded the initiative.
"As a religious organization, we are very disturbed with how women are being subjected to pain and torture. The rate at which women are suffering in this country is quite alarming," Sheikh Muhamad told OnIslam.net.
"GBV has lowered women's dignity and reduced them to second class citizens. We therefore applaud this cause and we pledge our continued support towards its success, so that safety of women irrespective of their religious inclinations is safeguarded. WE can't sit idle while women are abused within their homes outside. As religious people, we need to take a step to reverse this trend."
Muslim Forum for Democracy and Development (MUSFORD), which has been advocating peaceful co-existence between men and women as potential partners in socio-economic development of the country, has thrown its weight behind the initiative.
"We support this development to the letter. We are quite aware of the devastating effects that gender based violence has caused to the women folk in the country. We believe that only punitive measures will deter offenders," Alhaj Jafalie Kawinga, President of MUSFORD, told OnIslam.net.
Alhaj Kawinga added: "AS MUSFORD, we are advocating for zero tolerance on gender based violence. We are advocating for a society where both men and women will co-exist without any group being subjected to any form of pain. This cause is in line with what our organization is doing."
"Malawi is one of the few countries in Africa where GBV is on the increase. Unless, we have in place measures which punish perpetrators, women will still find life very painful."
Malawi is officially a secular nation. Islam is the second largest religion in the country after Christianity. Muslims account for 36% of the country's 16 million population.
About 65% of the country's population is women.
"We ask everyone to rise up to the challenge of GBV. We shouldn't rest until this war is won. We are not going to rest until women in this country are free from any form of oppression," said Ndaila.