W O R K I N G G R O U P 2

“ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT”

W H O O P Y J E D E
N A T I O N A L C O O R D I N A T O R
OUTLINE
• I will give you a brief background to our engagement with the Government of Malawi

• I will share how we have engaged governemnt on issues related to Child Trafficking in
Malawi

• I will discuss with you the strategy we have been using to engage government

• I will also cover some strategy we use to identify partners

• I give some highlights and results to our engement with Government related to child
trafficking

• Lastly I will share some lessons we have learnent through our approach and enagement
with Government
BACKGROUND
Eye of the Child
has succeeded in
advocating for
behavior change
and policy
reforms through
its partnership,
cooperation and
coordination with
Government
agencies

Ey
th So e of
wi c t
s Mi i a l W h e C h
w ork eland e n
We istry elfare ild w
h
h ild Hom for t in De lfa of S or
h e C y o f ca t e i n g pro velop re an Gen ervic ks wi
t d e t
e of inistr advo ffick s m d
chi otio ment Com er, S at th h
Ey e M y to of tra ctim ldr n a to
en nd adv mun cial
o e
th urit on s vi rig pro an ity
c i
Se otect erson hts te ce
in ctio the
pr p Ma n o
l aw f
i
 CASE EXAMPLE: CHILD TRAFFICKING
The advocacy work on human trafficking started in 2005 when
we observed that Law enforcement officers where mistreating
victims of child
.
trafficking and that perpetrators could not be
punished due to absence of a strong laws on human trafficking
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is a crime and a gross violation of
fundamental human rights such as the right to life, liberty, and
security of person, and the right to freedom from slavery

Eye of the Child needed to engage Government to develop Laws

protecting human rights aspects of human trafficking victim.
STRATEGY
• Eye of the Child adopted as strategy that promote “Working together against
human trafficking”
• Eye of the Child established the Malawi Network Against trafficking in
persons (MNAT in 2006
• The MNAT has membership of registered Human rights Organizations in
Malawi and state actors including UN Agencies and development partners

M-NAT OBJECTIVES
– To promote team planning, information sharing, cooperation,
communication and coordination among stakeholders in Malawi with
interventions on Trafficking in persons.
– Enhance the capacity and knowledge of organization and individuals in
Trafficking in persons.
– To collect and manage data on trafficking in persons emerging issues
– Advocate and lobby for effective policies, programmes and emerging
legislative issues pointing toward the elimination of trafficking in
persons
– Increase public awareness and knowledge on trafficking in persons and
its impact through working with the media
– To mobilize resource for the implementation of the plan of action and
programme to combat trafficking in persons in Malawi
IDENTIFICATION OF
PARTNERS
• We conducted stakeholders mapping to identify
prospective members to approach and concerned with the
issues
• We looked at the capacities and target audiences and
scope of services including location
• We review application of those who expressed interest to
join
• We extend an invitation to others we worked with before
• We received recommendations from partners and donors
concerned with the issues
RESULT 1/2
As a result of the
partnership with
Government agencies,
Malawi enacted a
Law on human
trafficking in 2015

Th
d to est e La
s le d abl w h
h a t an int ishm as
er- l
L aw men of
p f mi ent ed to
e Na nis of a
Th evelo ption lan o t C
Co oor tion teria n
d ado al P ins mm din al l
ti on Aga in tra ittee atin
Na ction king ffic a g
g
A affic ons Per king ain
tr Pers son in st
s
RESULTS 2/2
• The Law has establish Anti-Trafficking Fund whose purpose is to
support provision of adequate care and support to victims of TIP;
training of law enforcement officers among other key activities.

• The Law has increased participation of individuals, communities

and institutions in the fight against TIP and provides for the creation
of shelters for the care of victims of trafficking in persons. I.e.
Licencing Eye of the Child Safe home – Gateway Way Hope

• The Law has led to appointment of government protection officers

under the Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare and Community
Development whose primary function is to provide care and
protection to victims.

• The law provides for the imposition of a maximum prison term of 14

years on anyone convicted of TIP while child traffickers can receive
a maximum penalty of 21 years’ imprisonment including life
imprisonment in cases involving serous circumstances i.e . pregnancies,
HIV/AIDS infections
LESSONS LEARNT
• The strategy played a leading role in proposing solutions that are cost
effective, sustainable and consider Malawi’s cultural heritage

• The strategy motivated government to understand better about the issue and
strengthen its commitment to deal with trafficking in persons including
allocating resources in the national budget.
 

• The strategy profiled the issue as a national concern and drew much-needed
attention to the hidden problem of trafficking in persons from multiple voices
(Stakeholders).

• The strategy encouraged wider and open discussions on human trafficking

issues – using the media, schools, churches and civil society at large and
played a key role in breaking the silence that surrounds trafficking in persons.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION