Training in Progress
Following the validation of the Judiciary’s anti-sexual harassment policy on June 4, 2024, a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop was swiftly organized on June 5, 2024, at Ufulu Gardens Hotel in Lilongwe. The workshop attracted various participants, including Supreme Court of Appeal and High Court judges, magistrates, and Human Resource personnel from the Judiciary.
In her welcoming remarks, Justice of Appeal Dorothy Kamanga, chairperson of the Gender and Sexual Harassment Policy Formulation Committee, stated that the primary objective of the ToT was to equip instructors with the necessary skills to effectively deliver information, address participant inquiries, and facilitate activities that enhance the learning process. She emphasized that the intended outcome was for all attendees to acquire the knowledge and expertise required to educate other Judiciary employees on anti-sexual harassment. She concluded by expressing the Committee's hope that, upon finalizing and implementing the policy, participants would be able to deliver optimal learning experiences to their colleagues.
Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, the Chairperson of the Judiciary’s Training Committee, opened the workshop by underscoring the importance of effective policy implementation. She highlighted that the anti-sexual harassment policy was developed to provide mechanisms for lodging complaints and protecting employees, detailing steps to be taken by duty bearers in the Judiciary to prevent and address sexual harassment. This includes prompt reporting, investigating, and responding to allegations.
Justice Mtalimanja further noted that to fully actualize the Judiciary’s commitment to preventing and addressing sexual harassment, it is crucial to train all judicial officers and staff on what constitutes sexual harassment. This training would cover how sexual harassment manifests, how to navigate cultural and power imbalance barriers to reporting, how to investigate complaints, and how to provide appropriate remedies while avoiding revictimization.
The ToT workshop was conducted with financial assistance from the Gender Justice Unit (GJU).
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