Cecelia Kadzamira were accused of masterminding the assassination of three cabinet ministers and a member of parliament.
In the years that followed, Emmie Chanika has been a fierce fighter for women and children's rights in a country where male domination is the norm. In the face of intimidation, threats and even physical violence she has been a voice for the oppressed women and children. Many women and children in distress have found their way to the CILIC offices in
Blantyre
Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, L ...
and have received counselling, legal aid and professional advice. Besides promoting democratic values and addressing politically motivated violence Emmie Chanika has also been a pioneer of
prison reform in Malawi.
In May 2003, she joined other women's rights activists in denouncing Malawi President Bakili Muluzi's habit of publicly making sexist comments against women. "It is sad to note the president insults women in the presence of his wife, the clergy and leaders of the
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
society," said Chanika.
Emmie Chanika continued to be one of the most courageous and influential human rights activists in Malawi and has also been one of the founding members of the human rights consultative forum HRCC. In the 2011 political crisis in Malawi which saw many Malawians taking to the street in anger with president
Bingu Wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika (; born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom; 24 February 1934 – 5 April 2012) was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death in April 2012. He was also President of the Democ ...
's oppressive policies Emmie Chanika has taken a moderate stance. She has been calling for calm and for dialogue rather than confrontation. This stance has prompted accusations that she is now on the payroll of the Malawi government. Nevertheless, these accusations appear unfounded as Emmie Chanika has continued to be vocal in her criticism of the Malawi government. Emmie Chanika disclosed in a recent interview that her organisation CILIC has almost folded because since
HIVOS
Hivos ( nl, Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation) is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague, The Netherlands. Hivos provides support to civil ...
stopped funding CILIC in 2008 it has not received any support from international donors. It appears that CILIC has also been undermined by the government and new civil society organisations who compete for access to donor funds. In spite of lack of funding Emmie Chanika was still an active human rights activist and has recently spoken out strongly on the issue of unscrupulous clergy and traditional religious experts labelling children, the handicapped and the elderly as witches.
[Chanika, Emmie et al. 2011. Witchcraft and Christianity, in Sunday Times of Malawi (13 November), p. 6]
Besides having authored and co-authored numerous documents and research reports, Emmie Chanika authored a book on Violence against Women and co-authored two books with medical historian and researcher, Dr. Adamson Sinjani Muula of the
University of Malawi
The University of Malawi (UNIMA) is a public university established in 1965 and until 4 May 2021, when the university underwent a delinking, was composed of four constituent colleges located in Zomba, Blantyre, and Lilongwe. Of the four colleges, ...
, College of Medicine. Their best seller is ''Malawi Lost Decade 1994–2004'', all published by MontfortMedia,
Balaka.
On 29 July 2022, Emmie Chanika died at the age of 66 after struggling with
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
.
References
External links
Audio interviews with Emmie Chanika from
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
Child sexual assaults irk women activists from NewsFromAfrica.org
from Research & Teaching, Human Rights, Gender Issues & Democracy in Southern Africa.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanika, Emmie
1956 births
2022 deaths
Malawian human rights activists
21st-century Malawian women politicians