Mulunguzi third grade magistrate Jennifer Kalinde has urged traditional leaders to play a positive role in tackling violence against women and girls at community level.

She said this in Zomba during a two-day training for traditional leaders on gender laws and human rights.

Kalinde implored on the chiefs to manage some gender, child protection and human rights related issues own their own, in order to minimize the burden on courts.

“The courts are overloaded with cases related to marriage and lack of child maintenance by spouses which can be dealt with at village level,” she said.

Traditional Authority (TA) Nkagula commended Women’s Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) for organizing the training which he said has empowered them on effective management of violence against women and girls at local level.

“Some chiefs under my jurisdiction were handling divorce cases but following this training, they will be referring such cases to the courts,” he said.

WOLREC organized the training with funding from We Effect.