Youth Advocates from the areas of Traditional Authority (T/A) Sale, Kapoloma and Mizinga in Machinga district engaged duty bearers on various issues that are impacting negatively on young people’s rights and welfare in their areas.
The Youth Advocates presented the challenges which young people face and how such problems fuel Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) during an interface meeting which they organized with their duty bearers. The youth explained that SGBV is among the factors that are contributing towards increased cases of unintended teenage pregnancies, child marriages as well as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among young people.
The Youth Advocates indicated most SGBV incidences are perpetuated by various harmful sociocultural practices that are still prevalent at community level.
In addition to this, the youth indicated that there are issues of security in T/A Sale as the nearest Police Unit is 120 km away from the area. Key to this, the youth complained that most SGBV perpetrators do not face justice after committing such offences due to the absence of a law enforcement agency within the vicinity.
Among other key resolutions, the duty bearers avowed to reinforce mobile police services in the area. The Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Machinga district further urged the youth to ensure that their development needs are incorporated in the action plans for their designated villages.