| Summary | What is the situation of women in Malawi? Despite the fact that women have the right to full and equal protection under the Malawi constitution, gender inequality persists. Rates of maternal mortality and violence against women are high, women between the ages of 15-24 are three to four times more likely to be HIV positive than men of the same age, and women often have less access to legal and financial assistance than men. Typically women also work more hours than men because they rarely have access to appropriate technology and remain responsible for all household tasks. They also have limited access to agricultural extension services, training and credit. Some progress has been made however - such as gender training for agricultural extension workers to raise awareness of the fact that women are also farmers and have a need for these services. The gradual introduction of rural credit programmes for women are also a step in the right direction. This African News Agency (Afrol) gender profile provides further information on the situation of women in Malawi, including social data on life expectancy, sex ratio and access to medical services and portable water. It also contains links to relevant news articles and background presentations on Malawi.
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http://www.afrol.com/Categories/Women/profiles/malawi_women.htm
