This article is available in English and Japanese.
15 March 2021
By Seri Wendoh, IPPF s Global Lead for Gender and Inclusion
One in three women globally experience violence across the course of their lives – that’s around 736 million women who suffer physical, mental and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or non-partner. This figure has remained steady for the past decade, and it’s a frightening insight into how prevalent and embedded violence against women and girls is in our society.
Also, intimate partner violence against women starts alarmingly early: almost a quarter of adolescent girls aged 15-19 (24%) has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
The Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) has said the Covid-19 pandemic has made a lot of young people fail to access sexual reproductive health services in the association’s clinics spread across the country.
Pamela Kazombo, FPAM Board Chairperson
Guest of honour Thoko Lisinje touring a FPAM Pavilion
Delegates to FPAM DAC in a group photo
According to FPAM Board Chairperson Pamela Kazombo, the pandemic has exposed gaps in terms of reaching out to the youth with sexual reproductive health rights services.
Speaking recently in the Capital, Lilongwe, during FPAM’s 18th Annual Delegates Conference (ADC), Kazombo said:”We have experienced low client numbers at service delivery points both at static and outreach clinics. This is of great concern to us as it means that most people have not been able to access the critical services we provide to Malawians.”.