A delegation of nine officials from Malawi, who include six members of the national assembly, on Wednesday visited Isange One Stop Centre at Kacyiru Police Hospital, and commended the centre’s role in addressing challenges of gender based violence and child abuse.

The delegation was received by Supt. Shafiga Murebwayire, the coordinator of Isange One Stop Centres, who briefed them on the history and services the centre renders to victims.

The centre, which has been scaled-up to seventeen district hospitals across the country, offers free medical, psycho-socio and legal services to victims of GBV and child abuse.

Cecilia Emily B. Chazama, the head of the delegation, emphasised the importance of Isange model in African countries as an effective response to GBV challenges, affecting many nations.

The lawmakers from the Malawian Parliamentary Women Caucus (PWC) are in the country since February 7, and Chazama said their visit is aimed at learning from Rwanda’s women empowerment approaches and to understand how the security organs partner with members of the general public to fight and prevent gender based violence.

"We have been impressed by the partnership between Rwanda National Police and the Ministry of Health to effectively run this centre, we have learnt a lot that we are going to emulate when we go back home,” Chazama, who is also the vice chairperson of Malawi Parliamentary Women Caucus, said.

"This is a good step made by Rwanda police and we are looking towards discussing it with leaders in my country and when fully implemented, I am quite sure the vice in my country would be kept minimal,” she added.

"Gender based violence is not something you can run away from, the vice could happen when children or learners are going or coming from school, it could happen anyway, so we want to emulate the good example we found here to reach out to communities, conduct awareness campaigns.”

She hailed the overall political will in addressing GBV and the "overwhelming policy to empower women.”

The delegation will also visit other institutions including the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) and National Women Council among others.

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