Government on Wednesday launched the Provision of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) mechanism which is geared towards protecting women by eliminating elements of sexual violence and abuse against them.

PSEA comes at a time when cases of gender-based violence against women in the form of sexual exploitation are on the increase, with one in every five women going through this experience.

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Dr. Jean Kalilani launched the mechanism when during the opening of Inter- Agency Community Based Complaints Mechanism Training at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe.

Kalilani said the PSEA mechanism will empower victims to various forms of sexual abuse to come in the open as one way of curbing these vices.

“Lack of knowledge, confidence and less access to reporting agencies are some of the reasons that prevent women and children from speaking out cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence. This PSEA will facilitate collaboration in implementing support mechanisms to ensure our women and children are helped and that perpetrators are disciplined,” Kalilani said.

The minister, therefore, appealed to Malawi network members taking part in the training to seriously consider the issues under scrutiny by helping government to put in place measures of eliminating sexual and gender based violence in the country.