Senior Chief Chikumbu of Mulanje district, who also serves as the Girls Reproductive Justice Ambassador for Nyale Institute, has urged fellow chiefs to enact by-laws that are fairer regarding adolescent sexual health rights.
“Chiefs, as custodians of culture, sometimes unknowingly come up with by-laws in our communities that infringe on the sexual health rights of adolescents,” Senior Chief Chikumbu said.
She made the statement on the sidelines of a one-day capacity-building workshop organized by Nyale Institute in Blantyre on Tuesday, June 18. The workshop aimed to educate stakeholders on adolescent sexual health and rights.
The workshop attracted a diverse range of government and civil society stakeholders, including social welfare officers, teachers, students, young people, and clinicians.
Participants hailed the workshop as a game-changer and an eye-opener.
Dr. Godfrey Kangaude, Executive Director of Nyale Institute and a lawyer and scholar on sexual and reproductive justice, explained that changes during puberty, including a heightened interest in romance and intimate relationships, are normal.
“Sometimes adults are scared when adolescents start to exhibit romantic behavior and react by punishing them, including using the law, when instead they should offer guidance and support.”
He also explained the history of section 138 of the penal code and how the provision has been used to punish adolescents for engaging in sexual conduct that is otherwise developmentally normal.
The Malawi government gazetted the penal code amendment act no. 8 of 2023 on February 21, 2023, which criminalizes sexual conduct between an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, a provision that one participant described as “absurd”.
Senior Chief Chikumbu vowed to impart the knowledge gained during the workshop to her subjects to ensure that the rights of adolescents are not violated.
She commended Nyale Institute for organizing the workshop, describing it as an eye-opener.
