Malawi is launching its in-country OneLove campaign today. In view of this, we are re-publishing an interview with Simon Sikwese, director of Pakachere, the OneLove regional campaign partner in Malawi.
OneLove: What does OneLove mean in your country?
Simon Sikwese: According to our research, OneLove means “people should have only one lover” to the people of Malawi.
OneLove: What is the role of culture in love relationships in your country?
Simon Sikwese: Culture influences love relationships in many ways. The most important is how culture has come to take advantage of the biological make up of man and woman.
For instance, there is a culture in Chikwawa in the Southern Region of Malawi that allows a man to have an extra wife without the objection of the wife.
Another example is a practice known as Kulowa kufa (entering death). This is a practice where a woman deceased wife is forced to have sex with a man after she loses a husband or child as a cleansing ritual. The belief is that if she doesn’t do that, the whole village will perish.
Culture also allows a man not to take responsibility for his actions by positioning him as being “naughty” through different traditional sayings.
Some of the sayings are:
- A man is like a child ( Mwamuna ndi mwana)
- A man is like a short trousers; it wears out because of moving up and down (Mwamuna ndi kabudula amathera moyenda).
This allows men to have many sexual partners while women tolerate the behaviour because they think that is what it means to be a man.
OneLove: Why should traditional leaders in your country support OneLove?
Simon Sikwese: Traditional leaders must support OneLove because they are the custodians of culture. They are the ones who can make a a difference in changing the cultural norms that influence multiple sexual relationships.
For those that believe in polygamous relationships (i.e those from a Muslim background), the traditional leaders’ role is to explain the rules that govern the practicing of polygamy, so that people don’t take advantage of this practice.
OneLove: Why should religious leaders in your country support the OneLove campaign?
Simon Sikwese: Religious leaders must support the onelove campaign because they too are key to influencing change and also that they have a large following in Malawi.
They must let people know the importance of “mutual faithfulness” in relation to HIV prevention. One side of the campaign will focus on helping people to reduce the number of sexual partners that they have. However, religious institutions and leaders should focus on mutual faithfulness. For Muslims and faiths that believe in polygamy, the focus is on faithfulness within the polygamous relationships.
Talk about it
Should a wife be forced to have sex with a man after she loses a husband or child? What can we do to stop practices that take away a person’s right to choose? Share your views; leave a comment at the end of this post.
Related Articles
To learn more about OneLove campaigns in other countries as part of this serie, read:
- Interview with Hope Dolo, director of Phela Health and Development Communications
- Interview with Caroline Majonga, director of Action in Zimbabawe
You can also download a report about sex, gender and culture in Malawi. The report is called Multiple and Concurrent Sexual Partnerships in Malawi.
