MHRRC to implement Lekani Nkhanza project in Dowa

A local human rights capacity building NGO formerly Danish Centre for Human Rights, Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) will implement “Lekani Nkhanza “project in the Dowa district to increase access to justice and reduce the crime rate by 15 percent by 2030.

Lekani Nkhanza project is a successor of Nkhanza Toto which was run by Spotlight Initiatives to create an environment that guarantees gender equality and women empowerment contributing to the attainment of “voices and aspirations of people” of Dowa district.

The MHRRC says the Lekani Nkhanza project falls under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 5 of achieving Gender Equality and Empowering all women and girls and this will be implemented for a period of 6 months.

Introducing the project to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, MHRRCs Programmes Officer Charles Gawani, said the project will strengthen the capacity of the Dowa Women and Girls Movement to advocate for policy and law reform around gender, SGBV, and SRHR.

Gawani said the project will strengthen the Dowa Chiefs Forum to monitor the implementation of laws, policies, and plans on Gender, SGBV, and SRHR and hold duty bearers accountable as well as improve the quality of SGBV, SRHR services both medico-legal in the Dowa district.

He said the project will target women and girls as the main beneficiaries for the reasons of strengthening district level women and girls Movement claiming that women and girls disproportionately suffer the impact of SGBV and Gender inequality.

The officer said survivors of the project are provided with “Psychosocial Support,” an increased level of awareness by citizens of Gender-related laws and Gender-related laws dissemination, and Women’s Rights Movement with strengthened capacities to support advocacy on ending SGBV/HP and able to hold duty bearers accountable.

“Traditional leaders/ chiefs will champion social accountability on VAWG, SGBV/HP, SRHR with the district level coordination and project implementation,” said Gawain.

He said the main activities of the project will include conducting community dialogue sessions on SGBV/HP, child marriages, providing psychosocial support to SGBV survivors, and training Women and Girls Movement, and Chiefs Forum in advocacy, among others.

In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Acting Chief Planning Officer Yusuf Laki, called on all organizations implementing governance projects in the district to support the project for it to achieve its intended outcomes.

The MHRRC will implement the Lekani Nkhanza project in Dowa district for a period of 6 months funded by the Peace Building Fund, through the UNWomen Country office at an estimated project budget amounting to K31,585,500.00.