Using Community Movements to promote access to SRHR services among women

Malawi has 52% of women in its population. Malawi has 28 districts and Lilongwe is one of the districts. Lilongwe has the largest population according to the 2008 Population and Housing Census which registered 1,905,282 representing 14.6% of the national population. Of this 674,448 (5.2%) lived within the boundaries of the City Assembly while 1,230,834 (9.4%0 lived in the boundaries of the District Assembly. In 1998 the population was 1,346,360 and in 2008 it was 1,905,282 representing an inter-censual population increase of 41.5%. This increase is for both the city and the rural area. The population annual growth rate has increased slightly from 2.9% in 1998 to 3.8% in 2008 higher than 3.1% and 2.8% which are the average growth rates of the central region and the nation respectively. The population is of young age (especially under 14), which accounts for 46.4% of the total population of the district. This depicts the district as having a youthful population which demands for adequate provision of social services such as education and health care services. 22.5% of the population is in the 25-44 age-category, which is an economically active group. This entails creating more job opportunities for this group.

The general fertility rate is defined by the number of birth per 1000 women in the child bearing age, between 15-49 years. The general fertility rate in Lilongwe has risen from 165 in 1998 to 168 in 2008. The increase is 1.8% over 10 years. The total fertility rate, however, has dropped from 7.0% in 1998 to 6.6% in 2008.
Grassroots Movement for Health and Development established community movements to promote access to quality SRHR health services. The movements provide an opportunity for communities to openly discuss and find ways of promoting access to SRHR services by community women.

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