By Temwa Tembo

Women’s rights activist Memory Chisenga says Malawi is still not making meaningful progress in addressing gender-based violence (GBV), stressing that abuse linked to a person’s gender should not be taken lightly.

Chisenga made the remarks following the release of a report by the National Statistical Office (NSO), which shows that only 34 out of every 100 women report cases of violence to relevant authorities after experiencing abuse.

According to the report, six out of every 100 women aged between 15 and 49 who have been pregnant experience various forms of violence during pregnancy, highlighting the vulnerability of women even at critical stages of their lives.

Chisenga described the findings as alarming, saying they demonstrate that a lot of work still needs to be done to effectively combat gender-based violence in the country.

She emphasized that the ultimate goal should be to create an environment where at least 90 to 100 percent of women feel empowered to speak out and report abuse whenever it occurs.