even death. The report also found that over Allegations of corruption involving the use 90% of women and girls were not using of Covid-19 funds, and vaccination contraceptive methods, due to lack of access shortages undermined the right to health. and lack of sexual education and were Despite steps to decongest prisons, they therefore not protected from the possibility of remained overcrowded, and conditions were unwanted pregnancies. poor. The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled On 19 October, proposed law 004-2021/PL that the death penalty was unconstitutional. to modify article 317 of the Penal Code to BACKGROUND decriminalize abortion was tabled before the National Assembly. The law aimed to Two million people in rural areas and decriminalize abortion where pregnancy 610,000 people in the cities of Lilongwe, presents a risk to the life of the pregnant Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba faced acute woman or girl, in cases of serious fetal food insecurity. impairment, and pregnancy resulting from VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN rape or incest. GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Despite numerous interventions to curb Local organizations and the media reported violence against women, particularly in an increase in the number of domestic schools, cases of sexual, physical and violence cases during the pandemic and the emotional abuse, predominantly against resulting rise in the numbers of people in women and girls, escalated. The police poverty. recorded around 250 such cases each LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE’S RIGHTS month. Discrimination against and stigmatization of DISCRIMINATION people on grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity remained widespread in PERSONS WITH ALBINISM Malagasy society. On 1 July, the interior Persons with albinism were murdered and ministry suspended an annual LGBT event faced other violent attacks and mutilations. In scheduled for 3 July in Antananarivo, the February, unidentified men murdered Dayton capital. The Director General for Culture Saidi in Mangochi; in the same month, explained the ministry’s decision, saying that unidentified assailants attempted to abduct a “homosexual-related activities are not yet 12-year-old girl in Machinga. The body of Ian permitted in Madagascar” and concluded Muhamba, aged 20, was found in August in that “the event will be cancelled as it harms Blantyre. Two suspects were arrested for his morality”. killing. Prosecutions against alleged perpetrators of such crimes were continually 1. Madagascar: It Will Be Too Late to Help Us Once We Are Dead: The delayed. Human Rights Impact of Climate Change in Drought-Stricken RIGHT TO HEALTH Southern Madagascar (Index: AFR 35/4874/2021), 26 October Reported cases of corruption impacted people’s ability to access health services. MALAWI Senior government officials were implicated in the mismanagement of Covid-19 funds. An Republic of Malawi audit report on Covid-19 funds during 2020 Head of state and government: Lazarus McCarthy was commissioned in February 2021 and Chakwera published in April. It revealed that government officials and private sector Gender-based violence against women and employees had abused about US$1.3 million girls escalated. Prosecutions for murder and of the funds. In April, police arrested 64 other violent attacks against persons with people for alleged misuse of Covid-19 funds, albinism were continually delayed. and the president fired the labour minister Amnesty International Report 2021/22 241