Gender-violence and education in Malawi: a study of violence against girls as an obstruction to

universal primary school education

Thomas Bisika, Pierson Ntata, and Sidon Konyani

Presentation by Celina Villarroel, Mauricio Muñoz, and Lucía Zuppa

2011

Thomas Bisika Demographer and public health specialist; Research Fellow of the Centre for Social Research and instructor of social

research and demography at Chancellor College, University of Malawi; Graduate of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA. Currently, Programme Specialist at United Nations Population Fund and

Senior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria School of Public Health.

Pierson Ntata Sociologist; Head of the Sociology Department at Chancellor College, U. of Malawi; Graduate of the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.; Affiliate Fellow of the Centre for Social Research of the University.

Sidon Konyani Biostatistician; Fellow of the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi; Graduate of the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.

FACT SHEET – estimates for 2011

• Total population: 15,879,252

• Sex ratio: 0.99 male(s)/female

• Life expectancy: 51.7 years

• Over 1,000,000 orphans (70% due to AIDS epidemic)

• Ranked 4th poorest country in the world

• Family income is less than $1 per day

UNICEF UN MDGs: Millennium Development Goals

DAW: Division for the Advancement of Women

ActionAid International

UPE: Universal Primary Education

VAW: Violence Against Women

EAs: Census Enumeration Areas

FGDs: Focus Group Discussions

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenGoal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Goal 7: Insure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Source of publication

Title

Authors

Date of publication

Abstract + key words

INTRODUCTION

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

NOTES (1-5)

NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

REFERENCES

METHODOLOGY

Sample Design

Data Collection and Analysis

Findings

Forms of violence against girls

Reports of violence in schools and communities

Extent of violence against girls

Perpetrators of violence

Incident reporting and actions taken

Effects of violence on education

This study – funded by ActionAid and UNICEF – sought to determine the extent to which violence prevents girls accessing primary school education in Malawi. It further sought to identify the different types of violence that girls experience when in primary school; the perpetrators of this violence; and where the violence takes place. The study established that girls are subject to several forms of violence as a result of their gender; that such gender-based violence is detrimental to their experience of primary education; and that it negatively affects their ability to access education in Malawi.

Keywords: Malawi; education; gender-based violence

Overview of GOAL 3 status in Malawi based on previous research Goal has not been achieved, despite free UPE Increase in enrollment, but mainly for boys High drop-out rates, higher for girls

The Declaration on the elimination of violence against women of the UN General Assembly (1994) defines Violence Against Women (VAW) as

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. (as cited in Bisika et al., 2009, p. 288)

• ‘VAW is not only a manifestation of unequal power relations between men and women, it is also a mechanism for perpetuating such inequalities’ (p. 288)

• UNDAW: Fear as a barrier to report VAW

Overview of what constitutes VAW:• Physical and emotional abuse• Behaviors: property damage, ridicule, threats, etc. • Beliefs: ‘women and girls occupy a subordinate status in

[Malawian] society and are expected to be obedient and submissive; this makes it difficult for them to resist or complain.’ (Newsletter Gender Violence in Schools in Malawi, 2004, as cited in Bisika et al., 2009)

NICHE (p. 288) ‘little research has been done to determine the role that gender-violence plays in deterring Malawian girls from achieving their academic potential’

PURPOSES (p.288-289)• to gain a detailed understanding of the barrier that

gender-violence presents [in preventing girls from accessing UPE]• to determine the different types of violence that are currently attendant in Malawian primary schools,

• to identify the perpetrators and their victims, the contexts in which the violence takes place, and the mechanisms that perpetuate violence against girls in school.

Malawi > 3 Regions > 27 districts > 60 EAs

1,496 households were surveyed:- NORTH: 497 (33.2%)- CENTRAL: 495 (33.1%)- SOUTH: 504 (33.7%)

In total, the survey covered 56 of the 60 sampled EAs, and all interviews that were attempted were successfully completed, yielding a response rate of 100%.

Lake Nyasa

MOZAMBIQUE

TANZANIA

ZAMBIA

MOZAMBIQUE

Map from Ask.com > Districts of Malawi

Figures reporting age, marital status, number of children, and schooling of respondents.

Forms of violenceCorporal punishments

Punitive laborFood withholding

Sexual assault, rape, inappropriate touchingForced marriage

Verbal abuseParental neglect

Enforced isolation Social ostracization

Denial of access to educationDiscriminatory classroom practices

43.9 % reported inappropriate touching happening at: Home 1.1% Religious functions 4.9% Public locations 10.5 % School 48.7%

Frequency of VAW incidents: rarely 60% occasionally 28.6% common occurrence 11.4%

Fellow pupils 52.2%

Friends 16.2%

Strangers 16.2%

Boyfriends and local villagers 3.5%

Teachers 3.8%

Street vendors 3.2%

Male relatives 2.5%

47.8% reported the assault 52.2% did not report the assault

Reasons for not reporting o 52.2 % did not realize such incidents were offenses o 15.4% were intimidated not to do ito 11.4% were afraid

Leading causeso Ignoranceo Fear

32.8% → no action was taken

67.2 % → some action was taken

• nearly half were not satisfied with the actions taken

• a large proportion were unclear as to what type of action would be appropriate.

60.9% reported that VAW affected their school performance

• 38.8% adversely affected their education

• 3.3% drop out of school

Main cause: inappropriate touching

VAW plays a key role in preventing girls from participating fully in education.

VAW is widespread and endemic in Malawi.

Fellow pupils are main perpetrators of VAW.

There is an alarming pervasiveness and acceptance of such abuses because teachers appear as perpetrators too.

Less than half of the cases of VAW are reported.

How can education contribute to decrease VAW? Do you think that violence against children is related to VAW? If so, how?

School enrollment in the Province of San Luis in 200655,141 EGB 1 and 2 levels22,269 students registered in EGB 3 level12,499 Polimodal level

Source: Sistema Estadístico Nacional > Red Federal de Información Educativa

Schooling, income, and gender in the city of San Luis as of 2006 20,4% men and 20,1% women completed high school. 8,1% men and 15,5% women completed university education. Average income is 183,3 for men and 139,3 for women.

308,6 for men and 236,3 for women with professional degrees.

Source: INDEC & DPEyC San Luis

Bisika, T., Ntata, P., & Konyani, S. (2009). Gender-violence and education in Malawi: a study of violence against girls as an obstruction to universal primary school education [Electronic version]. Journal of Gender Studies, 18(3), 287-294.

CIA World Factbook (2010, Dec.). Malawi Demographics Profile 2011. Retrieved April, 21, 2011, from http://www.indexmundi.com/malawi/demographics_profile.html

Districts of Malawi. (2011) In Ask.com. Retrieved April, 21, 2011, from http://www.ask.com/wiki/Districts_of_Malawi

Equality Effect. Video. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from http://www.theequalityeffect.orgINDEC and Dirección Provincial de Estadísticas y Censos San Luis. (2008). Análisis de

educación, ingresos y género. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from http://www.estadistica.sanluis.gov.ar > Anuario > 2008 > Anexo > Análisis de educación, ingresos y género.pdf

Sistema Estadístico Nacional and Red Federal de Información Educativa. (2006). Alumnos matriculados por nivel y sector. Provincia de San Luis. Retrieved April, 21, 2011, from http://www.estadistica.sanluis.gov.ar > Datos > Educación > Alumnos matriculados por nivel, año 2006.pdf

United Nations Development Programme. (2000) Millennium Development Goals: Basic Facts. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml