AfricaNews Monitoring Team
The 39 members of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition based in 18 African countries have vehemently condemned the stripping of women wearing trousers and short skirts by male vendors in three major cities in Malawi - Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Blantyre.
A statement from the coalition read: “Women’s rights in Malawi are guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1982, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women that entered into force on 22 December 2000, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa of 2003 and the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi, especially Chapter 4, sections 20 and 24 which focuses on the rights of women.”
Dinah Musindarwezo, Executive Director of FEMNET, acknowledges; “The above instruments have been ratified by the Government of Malawi in their bid to promote and protect women’s rights. It is for this reason, that we find it appalling that men in Malawi are publicly stripping women. This is a violation of women’s bodily integrity, dignity and freedom to self-expression. In addition, these acts intimidate women and therefore limit their freedom of movement.”
The statement said: “We are reassured that the Office of the President of Malawi, the Minister of Gender and the Minister of Communication have publicly condemned the violations and the law enforcement agencies have arrested suspects.”
It further urged the government of Malawi and security agencies to be vigilant and protect women in Malawi.
“We further call upon the government of Malawi to prosecute the accused within due process and to exercise zero tolerance to violations of women’s rights. In order to prevent a reoccurrence of these and other violations of women’s rights, the Government must announce a program of long-term sensitisation campaigns to change negative attitudes and behaviours.”
Faiza Mohammed, Executive Director of Equality Now, of the SOAWR Secretariat reaffirms the
coalitions’ resolve to stand in solidarity with the women of Africa and the women of Malawi in particular to ensure their rights are respected and protected.
