Centre for Alternatives for Victimized Women and Children (CAVWOC), through Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) Programme, drilled young girls from Chikwawa in self-defense in the wake of increased cases of sexual violence that is being perpetrated against girls in Malawi.
In her remarks, GUSO Programme’s Country Focal Person for Malawi, Loan Liem said that she has noticed that there is a lot of work that has to be done in the efforts of preventing sexual and Gender Based Violence. Liem further added that it is very imperative to ensure that girls are also empowered with self-defense skills like basic karate stances to effectively protect themselves in the face of an attack.
“Liem added that if men and women, girls and boys understood each other better; the nation could easily manage to address issues of sexual and Gender Based Violence.
One of the girls who attended the training, Loyce Huwa (24), explained that she had benefitted a lot from the self-defense drills so much that she felt capable of defending herself from physical violence.
CAVWOC is implementing its interventions under the GUSO programme with financial support from Simavi. Among other things, CAVWOC has established Youth Radio Listening Clubs, trained Youth Community Based Distribution Agents (YCBDAs) and health service providers.