Fewer people in Malawi know about human rights now than before, according to official statistics. The National Statistical Office reported awareness dropped from ninety percent to eighty-five percent between 2018 and 2025. NSO Commissioner Shelton Kanyanda revealed this during a report launch in Lilongwe.
He said the survey shows a rising use of informal justice systems. For those who do know the formal process, engagement has actually gone up. Public knowledge of specific rights is also changing. Awareness of children's rights now ranks higher than women's or disability rights. The data will guide the Ministry of Justice in making policy.
The report also gauged public views on institutions like the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Malawi Electoral Commission. Kanyanda stated the NSO wants to conduct this survey every few years instead of every seven years. Justice Minister Charles Mhango said the results show a need to improve service delivery and rebuild trust in the system.
The European Union Ambassador, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, noted the survey was funded by a seventeen-million-euro program. He said it offers concrete data for shaping policy and fixing public distrust. These findings underscore a pressing need for better rights education and stronger, more trusted legal institutions nationwide.
He said the survey shows a rising use of informal justice systems. For those who do know the formal process, engagement has actually gone up. Public knowledge of specific rights is also changing. Awareness of children's rights now ranks higher than women's or disability rights. The data will guide the Ministry of Justice in making policy.
The report also gauged public views on institutions like the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Malawi Electoral Commission. Kanyanda stated the NSO wants to conduct this survey every few years instead of every seven years. Justice Minister Charles Mhango said the results show a need to improve service delivery and rebuild trust in the system.
The European Union Ambassador, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, noted the survey was funded by a seventeen-million-euro program. He said it offers concrete data for shaping policy and fixing public distrust. These findings underscore a pressing need for better rights education and stronger, more trusted legal institutions nationwide.
