The European Union and the United Nations have embarked on a new multi-year program, entitled the Spotlight Initiative, focused on eliminating violence against women and girls and harmful practices. Malawi is one of eight countries in Africa selected to deliver this programme. This evidence review was commissioned as part of Malawi’s preparatory activities to enable evidence-based refinement of programme interventions and strategies across the whole programme, and identify knowledge gaps to set the research agenda. This study critically reviews and synthesizes appropriate peer-reviewed and grey literature on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Harmful Practices (HP) and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Malawi.
Malawi is characterized by a high prevalence of violence against women and girls, from traditional practices that harm girls and teenagers (from sexual initiation rituals to child marriage) to sexual and gender-based violence and intimate partner violence. While some practices that are common elsewhere, such as Female Genital
Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C), are low-prevalence in Malawi, related practices, such as labia stretching, as part of initiation rituals have a high prevalence in over 50%.
