Churches in Malawi have drawn up a manual that takes a biblical approach to dealing with gender-based violence.
The Ecumenical Counselling Centre (ECC) released the manual in mid-March 2007 to equip counsellors and others to address the problem.
ECC director Rev Robert Mwaungulu said: "Gender-based violence has for a long time been part of our society, and now it is only coming out in the open because there is more talk of human rights.
"It is time that the churches, too, have accepted the existence of gender-based violence and addressed it."
The new manual covers causes and effects, and human rights. It also addresses the relationship between gender-based violence and HIV and AIDS.
Malawi recorded one of its worst years of gender-based violence in 2006. Most of the violence was by men against women, including beatings, killings, and hands and genitals being cut off. There have also been some cases reported of violence perpetrated by women against men.
The ECC consists of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Evangelical Association of Malawi, and the Malawi Council of Churches.
Ecumenical News International