The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has rolled out a $1.063 million (about K1.9 billion) programme— dubbed EmpowerED— to strengthen gender transformative comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for both in-school and out-of-school youths in Chikwawa, Mchinji and Nkhata Bay districts.
Funded by the government of Canada, the two-year initiative is targeting young people aged between 10 and 24, with a special focus on those who are out of school, living with or affected by HIV and young people with disabilities.
Malawi is one of only 10 countries worldwide that are piloting the model.
Principal Secretary for Youth and Sports Isaac Katopola hailed the launch, calling it “timely in tackling the growing challenges facing our young people”.
He implored line ministries to “match health education with economic empowerment so that youths are fully equipped”.
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EmpowerED links classroom and community CSE to sexual and reproductive health services and promotes gender-based-violence (GBV) prevention and response.
It also boosts efforts premised on shifting harmful social norms, with the work being coordinated by the ministries of Youth, Gender, Health and Education.
Principal Secretary for Gender Nertha Semphere-Mgala said the gender-transformative approach “creates safer environments for girls by tackling harmful cultural practices head-on”.
UNFPA Officer-in-Charge Tamisayi Chinhengo also lauded the initiative.
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“This is a transformative investment. It will equip adolescents, especially girls, with knowledge and confidence to avoid early pregnancies, prevent HIV and claim their rights—promoting bodily autonomy, equality and a life free from violence,” Chinhengo said.
Statistics underscore the urgency: teenage pregnancies have risen from 29 percent in 2015 to 32.5 percent in 2025; 7.5 percent of girls marry before 15 and nearly 38 percent before 18.
In addition, violence is widespread, with 42 percent of girls experiencing physical violence and 22 percent suffering sexual abuse before 18.
UNFPA says bridging the gap between CSE and youth-friendly services will help reverse these trends while empowering young people to make informed life choices.
