In many communities, silence can become a way of survival. A young person may be compelled to change how they dress to avoid questions. A student may sit quietly while whispers move around the room. Someone seeking medical care may pause at the hospital door, unsure whether they will be heard or judged.

For some key populations in Malawi, dignity is tested in small, everyday moments. Sometimes the harm is laughter from neighbours, gossip from classmates, rejection from family, or fear that asking for help could make life harder.

A skill that became a statement

For Janet Roberts (not her real name), who hails from Blantyre, the journey toward confidence began in an unlikely place: a welding and fabrication classroom.

Janet, who identifies as a sexual minority, studied welding and fabrication and recently completed her training and is now trying to start her own welding business.

In a society where welding is still often seen as men’s work, Janet has chosen to build her future with determination.

“At first, I wanted to become a footballer,” she says. “Now, I have become a welder.” For her, the training has proved that no job belongs only to men or only to women.

For Janet, welding is more than a trade. It is a way of proving that ability should not be determined by how society expects someone to look, dress or live.

Learning that rights belong to everyone

Janet’s story is also one of empowerment and learning that she has rights and that dignity is not a privilege, but an entitlement.

Through community meetings organised by the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Strengthening Human Rights for Vulnerable Populations Project, funded by the Governments of Norway and Iceland, Janet began to understand that mockery, exclusion and unfair treatment were not burdens she had to silently endure.

The sessions helped her gain confidence, recognise violations of her rights, and know where to seek support when those rights are threatened. 

“I realised that I am a person like everyone else and that I have rights,” she says.

That realisation changed how Janet sees herself. She now knows that if someone is denied services, treated badly because of how they are perceived, or silenced by fear, they do not have to remain quiet. They can report and ask for help.

When judgement enters the classroom

Janet remembers a friend at school who was mocked because of her attire and hairstyle. People made assumptions about her and made her feel unwelcome. She was worried about completing her examinations.

For Janet, this is the kind of harm that may begin with words, but can affect a young person’s confidence, education and future.

“Situations like that make people feel uncomfortable and unsupported,” she says.

Even after the training sessions, Janet says challenges remain, especially in schools and families where people can still be judgmental. Wider community education is needed so people can coexist peacefully and feel safe.

The pressure to fit in is something she knows personally. In church and school, Janet says people are expected to dress or appear in a certain way. Those who do not may be judged or stared at.

“It is mainly about the right to live freely without fear or discrimination,” she says.

Making help easier to find

The Strengthening Human Rights for Vulnerable Populations Project supports awareness, access to justice and community-level empowerment for marginalized groups.

For Janet, the support has helped turn fear into confidence. She now knows that mistreatment can be reported to institutions such as the District Commissioner, the Ombudsman or the police.

Janet believes that reporting pathways must be easier and safer. People from marginalized communities, she says, should be included in local structures. Hospitals and police stations should also have trained focal persons who can support people without judgement.

“If hospitals and police stations had people who were specifically trained or designated to support us, it would make it easier to get help,” she says.