Off-Campus Students at Higher Risk of Rape - NGOGCN

Banda (second from right) and Navicha (third from left) after launching the 2019 SADC Gender Barometer Banda (second from right) and Navicha (third from left) after launching the 2019 SADC Gender Barometer - pic by Happy Njalam'mano

NGO-Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) has bemoaned poor accommodation in the country’s institutions of higher learning, saying it is exposing more young girls to rape.

Chairperson for the Network, Barbara Banda, says because colleges and universities cannot accommodate female students on campus, the students are forced to risk their lives by staying far from campuses.

Banda added that lack of decent jobs among women is also contributing highly to rape among women in the country.

She said this in Blantyre on Thursday during the Network’s Annual General Assembly.

“Because most women are uneducated, it is hard for them to get good jobs. As a result, they find themselves occupying very unsafe jobs in unsafe environment. This makes them vulnerable to rape.

“We have also noted with great concern that most female students in colleges and universities are accommodated off campus because their institutions have no facilities to accommodate them. This also makes them vulnerable to rape,” she said.

Minister of gender, Mary Navicha, says there is a need for concerted efforts to fight gender based violence in the country.

“As government, we are very committed to work closely with non-governmental organizations and other partners in the country. For us to win this battle against gender based violence, we need to work together,” she said.

During the Assembly, the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance launched the 2019 SADC Gender Barometer.

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Last modified on Friday, 24/01/2020

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