Ritual murder mars Women’s Day

The Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC), a human rights body, is calling on the police to arrest all those involved in the murder of women in Chiradzulu district about two months ago. In the past 10 years, women in Chiradzulu district have been attacked, killed and have their private body parts removed by unknown people.

About four years ago some of the alleged killers were convicted by the courts and the situation seemed to have died down. But today the issue has re-surfaced with some women being killed in the same district and their body parts removed. The killers are now at large and the police are still looking for the murderers.

“Where do these private parts of women go?” Emmie Chanika, CILIC Executive Director said, adding that there is need for thoroughly investigations into the matter.

Chanika who made the statement at the press briefing in Blantyre early this month as part of the Women’s day commemoration, alleged that some powerful men in society might have been involved in the killings of women.

The Ministry of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services organized the events in Chiradzulu district because of rising incidents of human rights violations, mainly against women.

Malawi commemorated the day under the theme, “It is time! Duty Bearers Take Action on the Violations of Human Rights and Women’s Rights”. Women’s Voice Executive Acting Director Gwen Munthali said women’s rights are being violated because of a number of factors.

“The main factor is tradition. Many women are suffering in our societies because they are regarded as second class citizens by male. There are certain traditions that do not allow women to mix with men,” she said.
She, however, said despite all the problems women were facing, such as taking care of families without the help of their husbands, there were a number of progresses being made.“Many women are now participating in politics. Some have made into Parliament while others are heading high positions in society,” she said.

Out of 12 million people in Malawi, 52 per cent are women, who are also the poor majority. The illiteracy rate for women is higher than that of men,.Matters have been copmpounded by HIV/AIDS, with women being the most affected. Executive Director for Malawi Centre for Advice, Research, Education and Rights (CARER) Vera Chirwa said the epidemic, which has no cure, has serious negative effects on women especially, “because they are the most vulnerable.”

Out of the 14 per cent of the infected population, over half of them are women, according to statistics.

Chirwa said raping women was an abuse of their rights as it denied them a chance to life after being infected.

Elizabeth Kalambo of Chipulikano Community Group, an orphanage Centre in Karong district in the Northern region of Malawi, said the Women’s Day reminds “us of the problems we are facing. It is my hope that women will have a say in society.”

The southern African nation of Malawi is one in which outdated cultural practices are forced on women. “Now that we are in a democratic Malawi, women should have a say in things that affect them. We need not to accept everything, even if we know they are to our disadvantage,” said Kalambo. James Banda of the group said as men “there is need to accept that women too have rights that need to be respected.”

“In Malawi we have some cultures that hinders education of girls at the expense of man. Girls are encouraged to marry early while boys are encouraged to continue with school. These are things, which should be discouraged. Both girls and boys should be allowed equal access to education,” he said.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has vowed to uplift the status of women in Malawi and has made his government position known by appointing the first Woman Inspector General of Police Mary Nagwale.

“My government will support women in Malawi and I will do everything possible to ensure that women’s rights are not violated,” he said.
The International Women’s Day was set aside by the United Nations to recognize the contributions women have made in society especially the struggle against injustices.