By; Lonjezo Idrissa

Chiefs at paramount Chief Kawinga’s area in Machinga district said that they have produced a booklet of bylaws that aims at eliminating violence against women and girls in the district.

Chief Maganisia said that the production of the bylaws follows the training on barbershop toolkit which the Chief’s Forum from Paramount Chief Kawinga’s area received under Spotlight Male Engagement project by Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM), which is a Spotlight Initiative with funding from European Union through UN Women.

“We were trained on different types of gender-based violence that women and girls encounter in our communities and this made us develop our booklet of bylaws that acts against the violence that they receive,” said Maganisia.

Concurring with Maganisia, CRECCOM Program Officer for Spotlight male Engagement project, Dan Tewesa, said that the bylaws will help the community leaders to fight against violence in the district.

“Harmful cultural practices, child marriages, and other forms of violence will be eliminated with the development of the byways by chiefs from Paramount Chief Kawinga,” said Tewesa.

Chief Ntano added to say that she has been enlightened up by the training she received under Spotlight Initiative.

“We did not know that some of the social norms we act on our women and girls in our communities are some of the gender-based violence that needs to be eliminated until the coming in of Spotlight Initiative,” said Ntano