BLANTYRE, 29 July 2008 (IRIN) - Malawian women have little say when it comes to condom use, but the government hopes that the recent launch of the female condom in the country could go some way in solving this age-old dilemma.
Sandra Mapemba, national condom programme coordinator at the Reproductive Health Unit (RHU) in the Ministry of Health, believes the female condom will empower women to have more control in their sexual relationships, help them protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV, as well as unwanted pregnancies.
The female condom was first piloted in Malawi in 2000, with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), but failed to catch on.
"What led to this was lack of proper information on the condom. The product was just dumped in clinics and most service providers lacked basic knowledge," said Mapemba. "This resulted in people getting wrong information about the product, hence the low acceptance."
The pilot was repeated four years later in 22 areas across the country and subsequent studies found that it had gained greater acceptability.
Public health workers thought the introduction of the female condom in the late 1990s would give women in developing countries more power to protect themselves against HIV infection.
But the prohibitive cost of the product, lack of political will and stigma surrounding its use, have kept it out of reach to the many women who need it.
Distribution of the product
The health department will be distributing a new and improved version of the female condom, which is easier to insert than the original version. "They are neither noisy [previously a main complaint] nor uncomfortable, as some people have alleged," said Mapemba.
Government clinics will distribute them to clients at no charge, but they will also be for sale at a price of K35 (US$0.25) for a pack of two. Population Services International (PSI) Malawi, an international non-profit social marketing organisation, is already distributing female condoms throughout the country.
Drawing on the organisation's global experience, PSI Malawi is using a network of hairdressers to distribute the condoms because the salons are able to provide their clients with consistent support and information. Pamela Msukwa of PSI Malawi said it was too early to gauge the success of the initiative, but so far the response had been encouraging.
Public response
A quick survey by IRIN/PlusNews found a mixed reaction to the female condom. Magdalene Philipo, a receptionist and mother of three, was doubtful about the extent to which they would help women protect themselves from HIV and unplanned pregnancies. "I don't think it will change anything," Philipo told IRIN/PlusNews. "Men will continue to dominate in these issues and the status quo remains just that."
Fatsani Nanjaikho, a mother of two, agreed. "Experience has shown that women have very little say on matters related to sex," she said, adding that whether the condom was male or female, men would continue to have the final say about its use.
She also felt that the government and NGOs needed to step up campaigns to educate people about female condoms. "At the moment we hear very little about [them]," she said. "I have never heard any advertisement on radio or on television about it, and I am sure many others are in the dark about how to use it."
But beautician Martha Banda, 22, felt that the female condom had the potential to help women have more control over their sexual health. "In the past it was men who could direct things and at the expense of women's health. I am glad that women have a choice to protect themselves against STIs and unwanted pregnancies using this new condom," she said.
Bartholomew Boaz, a journalist, said commercial sex workers would probably benefit most because they tended to be in a stronger position to negotiate condom use than other women.
"But I expect problems in families, because most women lack the courage to stand up and say 'no' to any form of abuse, including sexual harassment," he said. "It has been our tradition that men should be the ones to lead, even in dictating who should and should not wear a condom."
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Kingdom Goes To Malawi
FDH Financial Holdings, an associate company of Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited (KFHL) has opened a retail bank in Malawi as the firm continues its expansion programme.
The bank joins First Discount House Limited and FDH Stockbrokers Limited in the group.
FDH Bank Limited opened on Wednesday with one branch servicing corporates and small to medium enterprise financing while work is underway to open the bank to the public by October.
FDH Bank Limited is wholly owned by FDH Financial Holdings in which KFHL has a 40.16% shareholding. Other shareholders of the group are Thomson Frank Mpinganjira Trust (39.84%) and Old Mutual (20%).
Thomson Mpinganjira, the group’s CEO will head FDH Bank for a period not exceeding a year until the bank finds a suitable substantive head, Standardbusiness heard last week.
To beef up the technical team, KFHL seconded Clement Kahiya on a two and half-year temporary employment permit. Kahiya, a former group Audit Executive at KFHL, takes up the chief operating officer position.
Mpinganjira said the bank has applied for an Authorised Dealer Bank licence to the Reserve Bank of Malawi and awaiting response.
"This licence will be issued anytime as soon as RBM are satisfied that we have established Correspondent Banking Relationships. At this point we have been accepted by Barclays Commercial (UK), ABSA and First Rand," he said.
"As soon as we go live on SWIFT on 2 August 2008, banks will open accounts for us to start trading."
Connecting to SWIFT and Reuters are the preconditions for granting a licence and the bank has already met the conditions, Mpinganjira said.
FDH Bank will rub shoulders with nine other banks for the same clientele. Mpinganjira said the group had deferred plans to list on the Malawian Stock Exchange.
"Our aim was to raise funds to set up FDH Bank. Our priority now is to get FDH Bank properly established," he said.
"At an appropriate time in the future the shareholders will revisit this issue but there is no time frame."
The bank joins First Discount House Limited and FDH Stockbrokers Limited in the group.
FDH Bank Limited opened on Wednesday with one branch servicing corporates and small to medium enterprise financing while work is underway to open the bank to the public by October.
FDH Bank Limited is wholly owned by FDH Financial Holdings in which KFHL has a 40.16% shareholding. Other shareholders of the group are Thomson Frank Mpinganjira Trust (39.84%) and Old Mutual (20%).
Thomson Mpinganjira, the group’s CEO will head FDH Bank for a period not exceeding a year until the bank finds a suitable substantive head, Standardbusiness heard last week.
To beef up the technical team, KFHL seconded Clement Kahiya on a two and half-year temporary employment permit. Kahiya, a former group Audit Executive at KFHL, takes up the chief operating officer position.
Mpinganjira said the bank has applied for an Authorised Dealer Bank licence to the Reserve Bank of Malawi and awaiting response.
"This licence will be issued anytime as soon as RBM are satisfied that we have established Correspondent Banking Relationships. At this point we have been accepted by Barclays Commercial (UK), ABSA and First Rand," he said.
"As soon as we go live on SWIFT on 2 August 2008, banks will open accounts for us to start trading."
Connecting to SWIFT and Reuters are the preconditions for granting a licence and the bank has already met the conditions, Mpinganjira said.
FDH Bank will rub shoulders with nine other banks for the same clientele. Mpinganjira said the group had deferred plans to list on the Malawian Stock Exchange.
"Our aim was to raise funds to set up FDH Bank. Our priority now is to get FDH Bank properly established," he said.
"At an appropriate time in the future the shareholders will revisit this issue but there is no time frame."
Progress and Challenges in Malawi’s Educational System
As the movement to reduce global gender inequality is gaining speed with international agencies like the UN (it is one of eight Millennium Development Goals), it is becoming increasingly apparent that improving the global education system is key to lessening the gender gap. Dr. Shirley Miske, who has worked with USAID, UNICEF, and CARE-US in over 30 countries reforming educational systems, presented conclusions on USAID funded educational projects in Malawi, Africa. The power-point presentation and roundtable discussion examined both obstacles and successes in USAID education projects in the region since 1991, and emphasized the inter-connectedness between gender equality and the quality of a country’s educational system. Initial challenges in Malawi in 1991 included the extremely poor literacy rate of females (a mere 28%), and cultural norms which lead teachers to believe the males were superior to females, thus hindering female scholastic success. Cultural norms had substantial effects on safety for females in school, as girls were harassed, beaten, and in some cases impregnated by their male teachers. This treatment garnered little or no reaction among leaders to ensure female well-being. USAID’s subsequent educational projects in Malawi sought to reform both schools’ environments (addressing safety and social health concerns) as well as academic programs, which were showing little success at the time. The following is a list of USAID projects in Malawi since 1991:
-Girls’ Attainment in Basic Literacy and Education, 1991-1998: This project sought to increase female attendance and completion by funding school construction and new materials. It engaged the school-district community by educating them about gender equality and its positive effects.
-Quality Education through Supporting Teachers, 1998-2003: QUEST focused on school-level changes, mainly better teacher quality and infrastructure. It resulted in decreased drop-out rates and better student retention rates.
-Malawi Education Sector Assistance, 2003-2006: A key component of this program was HIV/AIDS education. Engaging community members in education proved successful, as did using locally available resources for learning.
-Malawi Teacher Training Activity, 2004-2008: MTTA made great strides by training over 6,000 primary teachers, building networks where teachers could conference about methods and techniques used in the classroom.
-Primary School Support Program, 2006-2008: A pilot program under a US Congressional mandate to reduce school fees in Malawi.
The round table discussion debated on ways these successful programs could be implemented on a wider geographical scale, as well as extend beyond primary education to encourage equality in the work force. The positive ripple-effect that women’s empowerment has on community health, infant mortality rate, and poverty reduction was discussed in depth, and the discussion concluded with the agreement that further dedication from international organizations and governments is necessary to keep gender equality in educational systems in the foreground of international policy.
-Girls’ Attainment in Basic Literacy and Education, 1991-1998: This project sought to increase female attendance and completion by funding school construction and new materials. It engaged the school-district community by educating them about gender equality and its positive effects.
-Quality Education through Supporting Teachers, 1998-2003: QUEST focused on school-level changes, mainly better teacher quality and infrastructure. It resulted in decreased drop-out rates and better student retention rates.
-Malawi Education Sector Assistance, 2003-2006: A key component of this program was HIV/AIDS education. Engaging community members in education proved successful, as did using locally available resources for learning.
-Malawi Teacher Training Activity, 2004-2008: MTTA made great strides by training over 6,000 primary teachers, building networks where teachers could conference about methods and techniques used in the classroom.
-Primary School Support Program, 2006-2008: A pilot program under a US Congressional mandate to reduce school fees in Malawi.
The round table discussion debated on ways these successful programs could be implemented on a wider geographical scale, as well as extend beyond primary education to encourage equality in the work force. The positive ripple-effect that women’s empowerment has on community health, infant mortality rate, and poverty reduction was discussed in depth, and the discussion concluded with the agreement that further dedication from international organizations and governments is necessary to keep gender equality in educational systems in the foreground of international policy.
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