Embrace minority groups -NRA – Capital Radio Malawi
13 November, 2024

Embrace minority groups -NRA

An LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group, Nyasa Rainbow Alliance -NRA, is hopeful that the citizenry will soon understand and embrace minority groups.

Officials from the organisation observe that there is a lot of misinformation on minority groups is denying them essential social services.

NRA was established after noticing implementation gaps within the existing LGBTQ+ organizations and their scope in Malawi.

The organisation aims to create a platform where sexual minorities are visible and respected.

“There is a lot of negativity coming from members of the society and to an extent, such is instigated by cultural norms and religious inclinations. Our project is not to promote homosexuality like what others insinuate. The aim is to promote respect and protection of the LGBTQ+ community.

“First is to say, these people have human rights just like any individual in the country and they need respect and protection,” NRA’s programmes and operations manager Ousmane Kennedy raised the concern.

Recently, the organisation engaged the media in Blantyre on reporting on minority rights.

“The reason of engaging the media comes in realisation of their role in informing and educating the nation. We want the media to help us deal with misinformation surrounding the minority group. We know that when they have correct information, it is also simple to disseminate correct information to the masses. We hope people will understand and embrace minority groups,” Kennedy said.

About the media engagement, one of the journalists who took part at the media engagement Josephine Chinele said; “The training is very important because people assume that we (journalists) know more things when that is not the situation. What we have acquired here will help us to report accurately matters of minority rights.”

In Malawi for instance, the LGBTQ+ community faces prosecution related to unnatural offenses as per the criminal law doctrine, Penal Code.

For instance, Section 153 of the Penal Code criminalises to 14 years imprisonment any person who (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature.

The NRA is therefore fighting for the provision to be declared unconstitutional arguing it is against provisions in the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi.

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