MALAWI: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000154

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - FIXED TYPO PARA 1

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN KPAO AID CDC MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL

REF: 09 STATE 132094

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1. Post nominates the following project in response to the
solicitation in reftel. The basis of this project narrative and
budget was developed by the Office of the Vice President of the
Republic of Malawi.

PROJECT SUMMARY: FIGHTING GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN MALAWI


2. Gender based violence (GBV) has emerged as a global health, human
rights and development issue. It is a symptom of continued gender
inequality and power imbalances between men and women. According to
the 1993 World Development Report, violence is as serious a cause of
death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a
greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria
combined.


3. In 2006, the Malawi Parliament passed a Prevention of Domestic
Violence Act with the goal of combating and eventually eliminating
GBV. Unfortunately, the Malawi legal system remains largely
unresponsive to women??????s needs. Most rural Malawian women have
little knowledge of their rights, rendering them powerless to claim
and defend those rights. Statistics from the National Statistical
Office Malawi indicated that violence against women and children,
including physical, sexual and psychological violence, is on the
increase. The same study indicated that at least 48% of Malawian
women have experienced some form of violence at the hands of their
intimate partners.


4. Gender based violence impacts negatively on women??????s health;
it degrades their dignity, infringes on their human rights and
disadvantages their meaningful engagement in private and public
decision making, and economic participation. Malawi can do much more
to address GBV and its impacts and consequences on women and
children, and the wider community.


5. Working with Malawi Vice President Joyce Banda, this project will
work to sensitize Malawian society to the problem of GBV and mobilize
communities to work towards its elimination. The Vice President is an
acknowledged leader in the advancement of women??????s rights in
Malawi dating from the early 1990s when she was active in several
civil society groups. Her work as Minister of Women and Child
Development from 2004-2006 solidified her reputation as an effective
leader in this important area. This project will capitalize on the
influence and respect she commands, and her excellent interaction
with traditional community leaders, to bring to the fore the fight
against GBV in Malawi.

THE CHALLENGE


6. Results from a 2005 National Gender Based Violence Study in
Malawi indicate that the prevalence of GBV is well understood by
women in Malawi. More than half of women (57 percent) think that
traditional beliefs promote GBV. This same study also indicated that
physical abuse is the most common form of intra-household gender
violence, with 30 percent of women interviewed reporting some form of
abuse by a partner. 28 percent reported that their partner had
economically abused them, usually by withholding money. 25 percent
of those interviewed said they had been emotionally abused. 18
percent reported that they had been sexually abused. When all the
four types of domestic violence are combined, a full 48 percent of
Malawian women reported some form of intimate partner violence or
abuse.


7. Though poverty does not cause gender-based violence, it may lead
to women to make choices that put their lives at risk. The majority
of women in Malawi face structural and social barriers in accessing
and controlling resources, especially income, and this makes them
economically dependent on their male relations - especially
husbands. Like in many other countries, this economic dependency
makes some women feel they have no choice but to remain in abusive
and violent relationships.


8. While it is evident that the silence surrounding GBV has been
broken in many communities in Malawi, various research studies show
the continued existence of deep-rooted negative socio-cultural norms
that form and perpetuate violence against women. Examples of these
norms include wife battering, property dispossession, wife
inheritance, sexual cleansing, forced or arranged marriages for very
young girls, and forced and unprotected sex during female
initiations. These practices endure, and many communities in Malawi
resist their prohibition in the cause of ??????preserving
culture.??????


9. Exacerbating the situation in Malawi is the fact that support and
care systems for survivors of GBV remain limited, fragmented and not
fully formalized. The Malawi Police Service reports that it does not

have adequate facilities at its police stations to offer the required
support for women in GBV situations. The Police are loath to
investigate and prosecute crimes involving GVB:

?????? ..as much as the police are required to take on all matters of
criminal nature, when it came to matters of domestic violence the
police became selective. In one instance, a police officer admitted
that they would try to resolve the matter between the two spouses or
would dissuade the women from taking further steps. A group of
churchwomen in Kasungu found that the role of the police in this
regard left a lot to be desired. The women understood that when a
complaint is presented, the alleged culprit should be charged,
investigated, or arrested whilst being investigated. However, in most
cases relating to domestic violence, especially battery, such matters
were treated with dismissal. They are usually told that it is
??????zam??????banja?????? (literally meaning these are family
matters). This tends to discourage women from reporting on matters
of domestic violence and therefore are unable to seek justice in this
regard.??????


10. The country??????s policy environment for the support of gender
equality and women??????s empowerment is progressive. The
Constitution of the Republic of Malawi enshrines gender equality as
one of its principles. Women??????s rights are specifically
guaranteed in Article 24 of the Constitution. In spite of these
protections, GBV is rampant. The need for renewed action at the
local level to stop GVB is obvious.


PROJECT DESCRIPTION 11. The focus of this project
will be to stimulate public dialogue and action to change belief
systems, attitudes, and stop practices that perpetuate gender based
violence. The key messaging will highlight:
a. The underlying causes of gender based violence in Malawi
b. The right of women and girls to be free from violence, and
the right to maternal health c. The impacts of GBV on women
and girls?????? health, economic well being and public engagement. d.
A call for renewed action as follow-up to Malawi??????s 2006
Prevention of Domestic Violence Act

12. This project will be led by Malawi Vice President Joyce Banda.
This project will focus on gender based violence and will compliment
Malawi??????s National Response to Gender Based Violence (2008) and
Roadmap for the Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal and Neo-natal
Mortality and Morbidity in Malawi (2007).


13. This project will reach out to 3 million Malawians through
media, and also directly involve 160 communities with a population of
about 80,000 people. The strategic target group for this project are
women and girls.

PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES


14. To increase the fulfillment of women and girls?????? human
rights and freedom in Malawi by mobilizing the public??????s
commitment to the eradication of gender based violence through, 1)
the sensitization of the Malawi public to the issue of GBV by way of
a national campaign; and 2) the creation of a cadre of traditional
and opinion leaders in Malawi as champions/agents of change in the
fight against GBV.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES


15. The project will have three complimentary components that focus
on national level and community levels:


A. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vice President Banda will make media based public services
announcements on TV and radio. Given the low literacy rate in Malawi,
especially among rural Malawians, radio remains the most effective
way of reaching out to the masses. TV will be used to reach out
especially to policy and decision makers. Specifically, the project
will:

a. Develop six key messages on GBV and incorporate them into a
catalogue of PSAs (print and audio)
b. Run the PSAs a total of fourteen times in Malawi??????s two
daily newspapers
c. Air the PSAs approximately ninety-six times over a two
months duration on MBC and Zodiak radio stations


B. DIALOGUE WITH TRADITIONAL LEADERS

Vice President Banda enjoys good interaction with grassroots leaders
in Malawi. In a previous safe motherhood campaign spearheaded by the
Vice President, one of the activities that yielded immediate positive
impact was her facilitation of dialogue with traditional leaders.
Traditional leaders in Malawi are key to projects that seek to change
cultural belief systems. Therefore, this component will aim to engage
traditional leaders in dialogue on GBV and safe motherhood, sensitize
them to the deep rooted drivers of GBV, and encourage them to
understand the role that traditional leaders must play in the effort
to turn their communities towards positive behaviors. Specifically,
the project will:

a. Develop criteria for identifying the traditional community
leaders to be targeted
b. Identify 160 traditional community leaders to be targeted
c. Develop and record eight programs of dialogue between the
Vice President and the targeted traditional community leaders
d. Broadcast the eight programs on Malawi TV and radio stations
over a six month period
e. Conduct follow up activities with the traditional community
leaders


C. FACILITATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO LISTENING CLUBS

In the developing world, it is one thing to put programs on air, and
quite another to get people to hear the message. For most Malawians,
and especially poorer rural households, radios are a luxury. The fact
is that many people may not be able to listen to the programs due to
lack of a radio. For households that have radios, they are a
??????male?????? property and are usually under the control of men.
Since radios are an indicator of wealth, many men in rural areas take
their radios with them when they leave the home, and in the process
deprive women and children of access to information. This project
will seek to support selected communities (those whose leaders were
involved in activities in component B) with communal radios to enable
them to access the PSAs and the traditional leaders?????? dialogue.
The project will provide winding or solar powered radios, and will
facilitate formation of radio listening clubs. After listening to the
Programs, the clubs will meet with the traditional community leaders
to have discussions and to develop action plans to address GBV. This
component will allow the project to reach a broader community,
promote accountability of leaders through the interface meetings, and
facilitate sustenance of change. Specifically, this project will:

a. Mobilize 160 community groups
b. Form 48 radio listening clubs
c. Build capacity of the radio listening clubs to understanding
the goals of the project
d. Purchase and distribute 300 radios
e. Follow up on the action plans that are developed

DESIRED OUTCOMES


16. The outcomes of this project will be:

a. Increased awareness of the public of GBV issues Increased
commitment by traditional community leaders, and the public at large,
to protect women from GBV Increased awareness of women of their right
to be free of violence and the tools available to them under Malawi
law to combat GBV

MONITORING AND EVALUATION


17. The project??????s effectiveness will be measured through follow
up activities with the traditional community leaders and radio
listening clubs and through tracking public feedback through the
engaged media. Specific data on changes in GBV rates will be
gathered by the National Statistical Office of Malawi in the course
of their next survey.

BUDGET


18. The detailed budget for this project is as follows:

STOP! GBV CAMPAIGN


1
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

A)
DEVELOPMENT OF KEY MESSAGES TO COMBAT GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
QTY
PRICE
TOTAL

6
-
0


B.1)
RADIO ADVERTS

QTY
PRICE
TOTAL
14
60.00
840.00


B.11)
NEWSPAPER ADVERTS

QTY
PRICE
FREQUENCY
TOTAL

2
333.00
1
666.00


C)
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

1
MALAWI BROADCASTING CORPORATION RADIO

QTY
PRICE
FREQUENCY
TOTAL

6
120.00
8
5,760.00


2
ZODIAK RADIO

QTY
PRICE
FREQUENCY
TOTAL

6
120.00
8
5,760.00


TOTAL FOR ACTIVITY 1
$13,026.00


2
DIALOGUE WITH TRADITIONAL AND OPINION LEADERS

DEVELOP AND RECORD PROGRAMS ON DIALOGUE

QTY
PRICE

8
433.00
3,464.00



PURCHASE OF AIR

QTY
PRICE
STATIONS

24
267.00
2
12,816.00

12
1,000.00
1
12,000.00


TOTAL FOR ACTIVITY 2
$28,280.00
3
FACILITATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO LISTENING CLUBS

A)
CAPACITY BUILDING OF RADIO LISTERNING CLUBS

CLBS/TA
RATE
TA IN 4 DCS

2
67.00
16
4,288.00

3
10.00
80
12,000.00


B)
RESOURCE PERSONS COST

# OF P/PLE
RATE
PERIOD

5
47.00
10
2,350.00


PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF RADIOS

QTY
PRICE

300
27.00
8,100.00


TOTAL FOR ACTIVITY 3
$26,738.00



PROJECT TRAVEL FOR THE VP AND STAFF
$16,817.00
(see detail below)

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT


DIGITAL CAMERA
400.00

OFFICE SUP AND COM
3333.00

M&E
3333.00

TOTAL FOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
$7,066.00




TOTAL BUDGET
$91,927.00


Rumphi
Ntchisi
Pharombe
Balaka

PROJECT TRAVEL COST DETAIL
Subsistence Allowance
1040.00
520.00
520.00
520.00

Labor/Material for site
1133.00
1133.00
1133.00
1133.00

Hotel Charges
600.00
600.00
600.00
600.00

Fuel & Lubricants
2300.00
1226.00
1533.00
1226.00

Maintenance of Motor vehicles
333.00
167.00
167.00
333.00

Total Internal Travel/ District
5,406.00
3,646.00
3,953.00
3,812.00


TOTAL INTERNAL TRAVEL
$16,817.00


BUDGET SUMMARY

ACTIVITY 1

Development of messages on GBV
$0.00

Radio advertisements

$840.00

Print Media advertisements

$667.00

Public Service Announcements

$11,520.00
$13,027.00


ACTIVITY 2

Dialogue Recording Programs

$3,466.00

Purchase of broadcast airtime

$24,800.00
$28,266.00


ACTIVITY 3

Capacity Building on Radio Listening Clubs
$16,266.00

Cost of Resource Personnel

$2,333.00

Purchase and Distribution of Radios
$8,000.00
$26,599.00


PROJECT TRAVEL FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT


$16,817.00
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
$7,067.00
$23,884.00



TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET
$91,776.00
THE RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION


19. The Office of the Vice President has the capacity to manage this
project. The technical team that will manage this project will
include the following individuals: 1) the Vice President??????s
Special Advisor who has experience and expertise in women??????s
rights; 2) the Vice President??????s Special Assistant for
International Relations; 3) the Vice President??????s Special
Assistant for Media; 4) the Vice President??????s Special Assistant
for Youth; and 5) two finance and logistics officers. The Office of
the Vice President has handled similar projects funded by the UNFPA,
and UNICEF. The Vice President is committed to the success of this
project and will block sufficient time in her schedule to fulfill her
role in the project.


20. The Office of the Vice President will partner with the
Development Communications Trust (DCT),a local NGO, who will provide
capacity building for the formation and maintenance of the radio
listening clubs. This project will also be supported by expertise
from other relevant GOM departments.


21. The Office of the Vice President is a public institution and is
subject to audit by the Malawi Auditor General. This project will
also be subject to any required USG audit.


22. This program will start upon receipt of funding and will run for
12 months.


23. Post appreciates the Department??????s consideration of this
proposal.
BODDE