US gives K241m grant to Malawi gender based violence survivors

The United States of America (USA), through its embassy in Lilongwe, has given a $390 000 (K241 million) grant to United Nations (UN) Women Malawi to strengthen the economic empowerment of women and girl survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country.

According to a statement made available to Nyasa Times, the grant is expected to empower the survivors through education, skills training and making a GBV referral system in the country operational.

“The economic empowerment of survivors of Gender based Violence project will be implemented in partnership with the Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDs in Malawi (COWLHA) a grassroots organisation based in Lilongwe and active in every district of the country,” reads part of the statement.

According to the statement, the project will be implemented in the districts of Dowa, Ntchisi and Lilongwe for a period of two years.

“Over the life of the partnership, a series of intensive workshops will impart lessons about women’s confidence building, leadership and participation in decision making as well as enhancing women and girl’s economic empowerment to ensure their effective participation in and benefit from development,” further reads the statement.

It is the expectation of the American Embassy that the project would positively contribute to fighting issues of gender based violence, improve the education levels and eliminate corrosive effects on public health.

“Malawian women have demonstrated that when women are empowered even with the smallest of resources, they can make a difference and uplift their families, communities and the country,” the statement states.

The grant has come at a time Malawi has bee commemorating the internationally-observed 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.