By Lovemore Khomo
ActionAid Malawi has expressed concern over many gender based abuses which domestic workers face during their discharge for duties in respective working places.
ActionAid Policy Coordinator Tusayiwe Sikwese raised the concern during an engagement meeting with Domestic Workers on 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence-GBV on Sunday afternoon at Bingu Upper Stadium in Lilongwe.
“Domestic workers face gender based violences because of their work, and its a place where they don’t want to be everyday but they do it for them to survive.” explained Sikwese.
She elaborated that many of the domestic workers continue to discharge their duties because of understanding economic problems they go through at home.
” It’s an economic justice issue and we want to impart knowledge into them so that should be aware of what to do and where they should go to report their cases.” explained Sikwese.
Meanwhile, Gender Rights Activist and Deputy Director for Malawi Congress for Trade Union-MCTU Jessie Ching’oma admitted about gender based violence cases in domestic working places, that victims remain silent because are afraid of losing the jobs.
Ching’oma vowed to continue the fight for both domestic and general workers in the country despite concluding the 16 calendar days of activism against gender based violence.
“Let me disagree on sentiments that we are concluding the activism against gender based violence. We always work 24/7 and 365 days on a year in advancing our agenda on GBV and here we fight up to the future.” added Ching’oma.
On the other hand, Deputy Director of Gender responsible for Mainstreaming in the Ministry of Gender Ronald Phiri expressed ignorance on Domestic Workers gender based violence cases, saying they don’t have statistics at National level.
Phiri pointed out that districts might have recorded the cases since they have some officers who are ably engaged into gender issues.
However, Deputy Director of Law Reform at Law Commission Robert Kandulu stressed that Malawi have no specific laws that talks about protection of domestic workers, hence the existence of Labour Relations Act and Employment Act both stipulates on general rights of workers.
“These laws also cover for domestic workers on safety and protection. It is very challenging to target specific workers, doing so then we might need to deal with other sectors which will required binding for both individuals and institutions.” said Kandulu.
Kandulu therefore advised domestic workers to lodge their complaints through Unions that exists to deal with problems in different sectors and enhancing workers rights.
Bertha Mateyu is one of the domestic workers who participated in an engagement meeting and she testified about different abuses faced during working hours.
“Sometimes I wake up at 3 am, I don’t rest, eat and work for unpaid overtime.” told Mateyu.
