A new survey reveals that Malawians overwhelmingly reject corporal punishment, but concerns remain about access to support for vulnerable children.
Fewer than half of Malawi ans say help is available for children who have been abused or neglected, have physical disabilities, or have mental health problems. About three out of four Malawi ans (74%) say it is 'never' justified for parents to use physical force to discipline their children, a 9-percentage-point increase in opposition to corporal punishment since 2017.
A majority (58%) of respondents say the use of physical force to discipline children is infrequent in their community, though 42% disagree. More than half (57%) of Malawians say child abuse and neglect are infrequent in their community, while 62% perceive out-of-school children as a common problem. Almost two-thirds (63%) of Malawians say the government is doing a 'fairly' or 'very' good job of protecting and promoting the well-being of vulnerable children. Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries, ranking 172nd out of 185 countries on the 2023/2024 Human Development Index (United Nations Development Programme, 2024). Seven in 10 Malawians live on less than $2.15 a day, with adverse consequences for children's health, education, and long-term prospects (UNICEF, 2020, 2022). In its National Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Development and National Plan of Action for Vulnerable Children, the government outlined wide-ranging efforts to strengthen child protection, reduce child poverty, and improve health care, nutrition, and other essential services (Government of Malawi, 2009, 2015)
Child Welfare Corporal Punishment Poverty Malawi Development
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