Battles between men and women continue despite 16 days of activism, Malawi News

1. Demonstrate the importance of langauge.

2. Raise discussions about reportign on gender violence.

3. Raise discussion on GBV issues.

 

Trainer’s Notes:  The tone of the article is melodramatic and sensationalises the content, especially in the opening paragraphs. The article also seems to suggest that gender based violence is a problem for women (“As you commemorate this year’s 16 Days of Activism, ladies, you should bear in mind that you have a big task convincing men to change their mindsets.”). The article is a good illustration of an attempt to show that gender based violence takes many forms and is found in places outside of the home, including educational institutions and faith based organizations.  The article also deals with the role of culture and tradition. 

 

1. The article does not quote survivors of gender based violence but relies on a single source from the Malawi Human Rights Commission.  Trainees should discuss how they could access comment from survivors of gender based violence to include in the article to make it more balanced.

2. The article could also be used to stimulate discussion on the links between different kinds of violence and how gender based violence makes women more vulnerable to HIV.