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Stories from Malawi

Mafulesi Matengambiri

Mafulesi Matengambiri is 62 years old and lives in Galafa village in Nsanje. She is the mother of three children, aged 20, 17, and 15. Mafulesi spent years married to a man who abused her both physically and emotionally, leaving her powerless in her own home. Her husband took total control of household decision making, using their joint earnings for his own personal enjoyment.

“I couldn’t participate in decision making, even if I earned my own money from piece work. If I contributed my own thoughts that would result in a beating” says Mafulesi.

In 2011 her husband abandoned her. She has since been solely responsible for the well-being of her household and children. To raise money or to get food to feed her children, she undertook ganyu work (manual labour), neglecting her own fields. “After working on other peoples farms I would feel tired and spent less time on my own farm.”

In November 2013, Mafulesi participated in Concern Worldwide’s Conservation Agriculture (CA) project. She was given a small amount of seed and fertilizer, and trained in techniques to improve her yields and prevent poor harvests in drought years. She was also provided with two goats; when these reproduced, she passed on the kids on to another vulnerable household. A major breakthrough came when she joined a Village Savings and Loan (VS&L) group, which enabled her to start up a small business selling tomatoes. Through her VS&L, she has already saved MK 16,200 which she plans to use to expand her business.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Katrina Shako

Katrina Shako is an ambitious girl who completed primary school in Blantyre. In 2014, she returned home to live with her parents in Nsanje where she is currently doing Standard 7. Her father Vito explains, “The moment I saw her, I told my wife that the time had come for Katrina to be married. She had grown into a beautiful young woman and I knew that we were going to be troubled with worries about her getting pregnant before marriage because of her looks.”

Girls who fall pregnant before marriage in Nsanje are subjected to a ritual known as ‘kupitadzwade’. The pregnant girl is forced to have sex with an older man during the course of her pregnancy or after giving birth. To avoid this, many families in Nsanje arrange marriages while their daughters are still young.

In 2014, Vito joined a Fathers’ Group launched by the organisation Friends in AIDS Support Trust (FAST) with support from Concern Worldwide. These groups advocate for and support children to stay in school. Radio broadcasts, developed and aired by Theatre for a Change, provide discussion topics at each meeting.

Vito has now reversed his decision about forcing his daughter into early marriage. He is an active member of his local Fathers’ Group, encouraging other parents to send their children to school. “He is on the top of the list of people who are encouraging girls in the
village to go to school and work hard at it,” says the local Village Headman Kalumbi. The family plans to send Katrina to attend secondary school.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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  “Tosha and infant, Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Tanzania” Photo by World Vision Ireland
Publications

Learning Brief 9 – The Health & Social Consequences of GBV

Violence against women and girls has important health and social consequences for survivors themselves as well as for their families and communities. At the very least, it can have serious impacts on the everyday lives of women and girls. GBV hinders their ability to earn a living, access education, and take part in social and political life. It perpetuates poverty and impedes development. This Learning Brief is based on the Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures event to mark International Women’s Day 2012. It outlines key insights, recommendations, and learning from World Health Organization (WHO) research on violence against women (VAW) and from female genital mutilation (FGM) policy and programming developments in Ireland. The event provided an important learning opportunity to recognise the work that has been done in relation to VAW and to reflect on future priorities in this field.

Key Research Findings on VAW: Consequences, Prevention, and Response

  • It is a worldwide human rights and health issue. Research suggests that nearly one out of every three women globally has experienced psychological, physical or sexual partner violence during their lifetime.
  • There are fatal and non-fatal outcomes and international research shows serious inter-generational health, social and economic consequences for individuals, families and communities.
  • It is rooted in inequality. Rigid gender roles create risk, and social and cultural gender norms reinforce the problem.
  • It can be prevented. Secondary education and increased socioeconomic status make a difference. Prevention initiatives must focus on changing harmful gender attitudes. Interventions must address individuals, couples and families, communities and the state. It is important not to focus solely on women and girls: men and boys must be involved.
  • Prevention and response must improve: VAW is a complex area and demands an integrated response from all the different sectors involved, including health, legal, education and economic support services.

Preventing VAW – Interventions work best when they:

  • Are designed to work at national, community, home and individual levels.
  • Empower women with finance, gender and relationships training and use school-based programmes to prevent dating violence.
  • Transform harmful gender norms at school and community level.
  • Engage men and boys in order to change attitudes and behaviour.
  • Bring about legal and policy change within a country.

Female Genital Mutilation: Programmes and Policy Progress in Ireland

Female genital mutilation means the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is generally performed by an individual who has no medical training and does not use anesthetics or antiseptics. This can lead to serious physical and mental health consequences. The World Health Organisation estimates that globally 100 to 140 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM.

FGM has been documented in 28 African countries. It is a serious yet relatively new issue within the Irish context, as increasing numbers of people have emigrated from African countries to Ireland over the past decade. Many migrant women living in Ireland feel pressured into having an FGM ceremony performed on their daughters. After sustained work by campaigners, the Oireachtas passed the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act in 2012. This Act specifically criminalizes performance of FGM on any woman or child residing in Ireland. It also criminalises the act of taking a woman or child out of Ireland with the intent of having FGM performed elsewhere. This was significant progress, yet a great deal of work remains to be done in terms of FGM policy and programming in Ireland.

Key learnings and recommendations from the event

Violence against women and girls is a global issue, with complex health and social consequences. Prevention and response programming work has improved and must continue to do so in the future. We should continue to consult survivors to ensure that responses are effective and do no harm. This work requires a multi-sectoral approach with promotion of gender equality at its core.

Given the serious health, intergenerational and socioeconomic costs of violence against women, strengthened work on prevention and response is crucial.

To be effective long-term, policy and programming work must approach VAW from a health and human rights perspective.

Download full learning brief

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  “Women’s Group Sierra Leone” Photo by ICGBV
Publications

Learning Brief 7 – Addressing GBV in Post-Conflict & Fragile States: A Case Study of Sierra Leone

Gender Based Violence is a global phenomenon. Many countries have a high level of acceptance of violence against women and girls, particularly during conflict situations. However, there is growing international recognition of the need to tackle GBV, particularly sexual violence, targeted at women in post-conflict situations.

Continue reading →

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  “Engaging men in gender awareness training, New Delhi”. Photo by World Vision Ireland
Publications

Learning Brief 6 – Masculinities and GBV

Gender Based Violence is a global phenomenon. Many countries have a high level of acceptance of violence against women and girls. One of the main factors reinforcing the prevalence of GBV is patriarchy, which gives men power over women. Therefore it is of critical importance that men and boys are engaged to end the cycle of GBV. In January 2011 we held a Gender Based Violence Learning Day. This Learning Brief contains information shared in relation to engaging men and boys to address GBV.

Why does it mean, to be ‘a man’?

There is no ‘Universal Man’. Masculinities and behaviours differ across countries, cultures and contexts. Gender is associated with power, and being a man confers power and often a higher status in society or better income. Power can also mean that one gender assumes a lesser role than the other. Masculinity can mean behaving in a particular way because of assumptions as to how ‘real men’ act, and a rejection of alternative masculinities (eg homosexuality). Not all masculinities are equal, and men with lower incomes often see themselves as having less power. Different social, economic and cultural interpretations of masculinity and rigid gender norms that link masculinity with power over women continue to be a significant factor in leading men to engage in gender based violence.

What factors did IMAGES identify as contributing to GBV?

The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) was conducted by the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) and Instituto Promundo, and distributed internationally in 2010 to more than 8,000 men and 3,500 women aged between 18-59. In relation to GBV, it identified a number of contributory factors:

  • Childhood Experience of Violence: The link between witnessing and experiencing violence and using it with partners is significant. IMAGES found that the incidence of men who perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) was 19-32% higher among those who had witnessed their father beat their mother in childhood.
  • Economic and Work Stress: The role of men as providers is a universal norm and work is core to an understanding of Unemployment, low income or lack of status in the workplace can fuel low self-esteem and a sense of failure as a provider. Feelings of inadequacy can lead men and boys to turn to substance abuse, migration, depression and dangerous sexual behaviours. GBV can become a demonstration or reassertion of male power in order to re-establish status.
  • Masculinities and Conflict: When societies are in conflict, women become far more vulnerable to GBV. Armed groups prey on men and boys to get involved in violence, especially those unable to fulfill their socially prescribed role of When conflict is over, men can find it difficult to unlearn these violent behaviours.
  • Attitudes to Gender Equality: This hugely affects the acceptability of GBV. IMAGES found that men with higher educational attainment and married men had more equitable attitudes, and unmarried men the least. To achieve equality, the gender norms that both men and women learn and internalise must change.
  • Alcohol abuse: IMAGES found that men’s alcohol abuse is much higher than that of women. Men with more gender inequitable attitudes are more likely to abuse alcohol. Alcohol is a significant factor contributing to increased levels of GBV.

What lessons can we learn from anti-GBV practitioners?

  • Women have not achieved equality in any country. It is vital not to lose sight of women’s inequality, even in programmes designed to engage men and boys.
  • Focus on human rights as an entry point to discussing GBV. One-third of women experience physical violence from a partner during their lifetime. This suggests that though the vast majority of men are not violent, the majority are silent.
  • Engage with men on the basis of their own relationships with women.
  • Work with men to help them develop alternative male identities.
  • Engage with men about their emotional response towards GBV.
  • Include men in the development of programmes and approaches.
  • Promote education: educated men are more likely to have gender equitable attitudes. Girls with secondary education are less vulnerable to sexual violence.
  • Work with a community to create sanctions for perpetrators of GBV.
  • Forge links between local programmes and policy level.

Gender roles that limit women are being constantly reinforced. It is vital to engage men in a positive way in order to change this.

GBV is a complex issue. Programmes to combat it must move beyond simplistic images of men beating women and into a more nuanced, supported arena.

Download full learning brief

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  “Children studying at Baptist Primary School , Rowalla, Tonkolli” Photo by Concern Worldwide
Publications

Learning Brief 5 – Addressing School Related GBV

School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) refers to violence inflicted on children in, around, or on their way to or from school, due to stereotypes based on their sex or gendered identity. It is a fundamental violation of human rights, particularly those of women and children. It is considerable barrier to participation in education, gender equity and to the achievement of Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals (see Learning Brief 5). Although various international programmes incorporate prevention and response strategies, more work must be done on best practice and to ensure that all SRGBV initiatives have a solid theoretical grounding. This Learning Brief is based on research shared at a SRGBV Learning Day in 2012. It is to be read in connection with Learning Brief 2: Effective Responses for Gender Based Violence: Gender Based Violence in Schools.

What is School Related Gender Based Violence?

Millions of children around the world experience fear or violence every time they go to school. This includes verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or symbolic violence and includes both bullying and cyber-bullying. SRGBV can include individual actions as well as harmful traditional practices or expectations based on gender that negatively impact children’s rights to education. It can occur between students, between students and teachers, between teachers, and within the family or community. Preventing and responding to SRGBV is critical to ensuring access to quality education for all and to the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

What role do schools have in the development of gender norms?

Boys and girls often learn that they are different from one another at school. These gender roles control who gets to speak, where they play, how their physical space is shared, or who cleans the classroom, etc. Classrooms are often gendered spaces, with boys and girls separated. This constant stereotyping allows environments to develop where more acute SRGBV can occur and be tolerated. However, such attitudes are learned behaviour, which means they can be changed. The role of education is crucial here, as schools are not just sources of socialisation but can also promote tolerance, non-violence, and gender equality, and be agents for changing social norms. A number of promising international interventions and programmes have shown that schools can change to become safer places.

What key learning points emerged?

  1. Broader views are better: Organisations that demonstrate promising practice believe that because gender is a socially constructed concept, change is possible.
  2. Success requires partnership: A broad range of state and civil organisations, stakeholders and the community must be involved.
  3. Monitoring & Evaluation: Comprehensive M&E and local capacity building is essential to improve SRGBV measuring. Best practice includes multiple data sources.
  4. Micro, meso, macro: Approaches that address individual, school, community and legislative levels maximise impact and sustainability.
  5. Advocacy and Communications. Plan International’s report A Girl’s Right to Learn Without Fear: Working to End Gender-Based Violence at School (http://plancanada.ca/publications) is valuable reference for advocacy initiatives. Raising public awareness is important, though it must be handled sensitively, as children who speak out can be vulnerable unless support structures are in place.
  6. Staff training and commitment. Agency staff and partner organisations must have relevant training. It should highlight key areas such as reporting procedures; and how to equip school staff with tools to help prevent, and respond to, SRGBV. Having ‘champions’ who can speak out and raise issues in schools is important.
  7. Participation, Voice and Representation. Girls and boys must be recognised within the school structures as key participants in any intervention. Establishing student clubs or committees has been successful, as have child-led media, lobbying and awareness raising activities, as well as training peer-to-peer child educators.
  8. Get the resources right. School spaces, especially toilet areas, need to be safe. Reporting mechanisms and staff codes of conduct must be established and respected. A child should never end up in a situation where there is only one designated person to report to, as that person may be the abuser. Examine the curriculum for gender norming and attitudes.
  9. Men and boys are part of the solution. Boys are also negatively affected by gender expectations, and vulnerable to violence. Interventions should change attitudes and behaviours that increase the risk of men and boys perpetuating SRGBV, and create partners in combating violence against girls and young women.

There are nine key learning points of huge benefit to organisations in the appropriate and successful planning, design and implementation of their SRGBV programmes.

Good practice is based on a solid theoretical grounding of gender and GBV. Though a lot of research has been done, more is required before we can arrive at the definitive framework for best practice.

Download full learning brief

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  “Children studying at Baptist Primary School , Rowalla, Tonkolli” Photo by Concern Worldwide
Publications

Learning Brief 2 – Effective responses to GBV in schools

Many countries have a high level of acceptance of violence against women and girls. Those experiencing it have little or no support or services available to them. In June 2009 we held an event called Gender Based Violence Learning Day: Effective Responses to GBV. This Learning Brief covers the increasingly important issue of GBV in schools, which was covered at the event. GBV in schools infringes on the rights of children as well seriously impacting on the development of equal goals for all children.

Why is GBV an issue for schools?

  • The experience or threat of GBV impacts on performance and attendance.
  • Schools are critical centres of learning, and important in how we learn about society and behavioural norms.
  • GBV in schools indicates a deeper gender inequality within society. Although it cannot be addressed solely by schools, education can play a key role.

How does gender impact on schools?

  • The ‘gender regime’: Schools have both formal and informal ways of interaction. A gender regime is evident in such routines. It controls who gets to speak, where boys and girls play, how physical space is shared, etc. Peer pressure ranging from teasing to violence, can become part of the school environment. Informal allocation of roles between parents can also create an implicit gender division.
  • What teachers teach: Teachers and pupils interact in gendered ways in relation to school discipline and authority as well as in the classroom itself. Transactional sex for ‘good exam results’ can also be a problem, as can that of impunity for teachers guilty of GBV. These issues must be tackled within educational institutions as well as teacher training colleges.

What can be done at community level?

  • A community’s negative attitude to gender equality is often replicated in schools.
  • People can find it difficult to challenge teachers. Communities must be encouraged to use their collective power to question education.
  • There is a growing international emphasis on promoting community involvement in how schools are run.

What can be done at school level?

  • Where institutions exist, so does the risk of abuse. To begin combatting GBV in schools, the first objective must be to analyse the existing dynamics.
  • It is essential to establish systems that safeguard children, such as codes of behaviour for teachers and safety training and awareness for pupils.
  • Tackle the school community as a whole to strengthen equality by: finding the points where gender equality can be promoted; clarifying your audience; and deciding how best to focus on that group.

No single group or person can make this change happen. It’s important to work with the education system at policy level, the community, school management and staff, and with the pupils themselves.

People can be resistant to change. But protection of children is vital and the desire to make this happen should underpin all activity.

Long-term change requires long-term commitment. But with everyone’s support, GBV can be tackled.

Download full learning brief

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  “Community Conversations at Mamandor Community, Tonkolili” Photo by Concern
Publications

Learning Brief 1 – Community approach to GBV

The work of the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence is generally focused on humanitarian response: less has been done about the prevalence of GBV in more stable environments. Many countries have a high level of acceptance of violence against women and girls. Those experiencing it have little or no support or services available to them. To discuss this, in June 2009 we held an event called Gender Based Violence Learning Day: Effective Responses to GBV. Continue reading →

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