As one way of strengthening Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response mechanisms in Group Village Head Fosa under Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza District, different stakeholders have devised strategies to curb the vice.
A Community Paralegal from the area, Allena Richard, said that during their recent meeting with the Village Development Committee, community leaders came up with strategies to ensure that there are strong GBV response mechanisms, referral pathways remain active and better coordination that delivers timely survivor-centred support.
“This is our community, and nobody can protect girls and women here better than we can ourselves. We have therefore decided to sustain the interventions that YICOD has been implementing. As you can see, we have been meeting different community leaders, including this committee, to ensure that every player takes proactive roles in this fight against GBV,” she said.
She further stated that different religious leaders in the area have been engaged to ensure that they are taking a leading role in creating awareness about GBV to their congregations.
In her remarks, YICOD’s Project Officer, Sheripher Dassu, welcomed the development, saying that, in a bid to break barriers for women and girls in combating GBV, it is important to note that different stakeholders, including community paralegals, are sustaining the approaches that YICOD has been advocating.
“I would like to commend the community members for their efforts. They are now sustaining the initiatives aimed at creating a safe and supportive environment for women and girls with disabilities to access essential services and skills needed for self-sufficiency and community integration,” she said.
