Jessie Kabwila

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Academic freedom standoff: ce

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==Academic freedom standoff==
==Academic freedom standoff==
The standoff began when [[Blessings Chinsinga]], an associate political science professor, was interrogated by [[Peter Mukhito]], Malawi’s Inspector General of Police, about a parallel he drew in a lecture between Malawi’s fuel crisis and popular uprisings in [[Tunisia]] and [[Egypt]] during the [[Arab Spring]].<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite web |url=http://www.malawidemocrat.com/education/malawi-university-lock-out-is-illegal-%e2%80%93lecturers/ |title=Malawi University lock-out is illegal, court agrees &#124; the Malawi Democrat |access-date=2011-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714020001/http://www.malawidemocrat.com/education/malawi-university-lock-out-is-illegal-%E2%80%93lecturers/ |archive-date=2011-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was eventually fired for drawing comparisons between the economic conditions in [[Egypt]] and [[Malawi]] in a political science class. This prompted protests from the UNIMA students and faculty that stood in solidarity with Chisanga including Kabwila. It also led to the eventual closure of the universities at Chancellor College and Polytechnic. As a condition to return to class, the academics asked for an official apology from the police chief, [[Peter Mukhito]] and assurances of respect for academic freedom.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> Mukhito declared that academic freedom had to be balanced with issues of national security. This statement was backed by President [[Bingu wa Mutharika]] who urged him not to apologize.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/21/police-quiz-poly-academic-dons-over-pressure-group/ |title=Police quiz Poly academic dons over pressure group &#124; Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi |accessdate=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401205553/http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/21/police-quiz-poly-academic-dons-over-pressure-group/ |archivedate=2012-04-01 }}</ref> Mutharika ordered them to return to work but the lecturers refused since there was no grantee of freedom.<ref name=autogenerated3>[https://www.voanews.com/a/butty-malawi-university-lecturers-update-kabwila-kapasula-22march11-118415189/157724.html Malawi College Teacher Boycott Shows No Sign of Ending<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The government was unable to provide this under the leadership of The Minister of Education, [[Peter Mutharika]]. The students stood in solidarity with the fired faculty which resulted in the use of teargas to disperse students. The failure to resolve this matter and a standoff occurred between lecturers and students on one side, and the President of Malawi, [[Bingu wa Mutharika]].
[[Blessings Chinsinga]], an associate political science professor, was interrogated by [[Peter Mukhito]], who was Malawi’s Inspector General of Police, about a parallel he drew in a lecture between Malawi’s fuel crisis and popular uprisings in [[Tunisia]] and [[Egypt]] during the [[Arab Spring]].<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite web |url=http://www.malawidemocrat.com/education/malawi-university-lock-out-is-illegal-%e2%80%93lecturers/ |title=Malawi University lock-out is illegal, court agrees &#124; the Malawi Democrat |access-date=2011-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714020001/http://www.malawidemocrat.com/education/malawi-university-lock-out-is-illegal-%E2%80%93lecturers/ |archive-date=2011-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Chinsinga was eventually fired for drawing these comparisons between the economic conditions in [[Egypt]] and [[Malawi]] in a political science class. This prompted suppor from the UNIMA students and faculty including Kabwila. They stood in solidarity with Chisanga and it led to the closure of the university's Chancellor College and its Polytechnic. As a condition to return to class, the academics asked for an official apology from the police chief, [[Peter Mukhito]] and assurances of respect for academic freedom.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> Mukhito declared that academic freedom had to be balanced with issues of national security and this was backed by President [[Bingu wa Mutharika]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/21/police-quiz-poly-academic-dons-over-pressure-group/ |title=Police quiz Poly academic dons over pressure group &#124; Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi |accessdate=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401205553/http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/21/police-quiz-poly-academic-dons-over-pressure-group/ |archivedate=2012-04-01 }}</ref> Mutharika ordered the faculty to return to work but the lecturers refused since there was no guarantee of freedom.<ref name="autogenerated3">[https://www.voanews.com/a/butty-malawi-university-lecturers-update-kabwila-kapasula-22march11-118415189/157724.html Malawi College Teacher Boycott Shows No Sign of Ending<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The government was unwilling to provide this under the leadership of The Minister of Education, [[Peter Mutharika]]. The students stood in solidarity with the fired faculty which resulted in the use of teargas to disperse students. A standoff occurred between lecturers and students on one side, and the President of Malawi, [[Bingu wa Mutharika]].


Since the incident she has reported that she has been denied a passport renewal by the government and has received harassing phone calls and death threats.{{cn|date=July 2021}}
After the incident Kabwila reported that she has been denied a passport renewal and she had received harassing phone calls and death threats.{{cn|date=July 2021}}


In 2017 domestic violence was in the news when seven women were killed or wounded in attacks. Protests and a petition were organised in Lilongwe. [[Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff]] of the Women's Lawyer Association read a petition and Kabwila, who was a member of parliament and the chair of [[Malawi Parliamentary Women's Caucus]] was there is support of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-14 |title=Gender-based Violence Spurs Protest in Malawi |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/gender-based-violence-spurs-protest-malawi/4029408.html |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref> During Kabwila's time as chaor of the caucus the age of consent in Malawi was raised to eighteen toptecent child marriage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-25 |title=Malawi Outlaws Child Marriage |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/malawi-outlaws-child-marriage/3824898.html |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>
In 2017 domestic violence was in the news, when seven women were killed or wounded in attacks. Protests and a petition were organised in Lilongwe. [[Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff]] of the Women's Lawyer Association read a petition and Kabwila, who was a member of parliament and the chair of [[Malawi Parliamentary Women's Caucus]] was there is support of the protests.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-14 |title=Gender-based Violence Spurs Protest in Malawi |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/gender-based-violence-spurs-protest-malawi/4029408.html |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref> During Kabwila's time as chair of the caucus the age of consent in Malawi was raised to eighteen to prevent child marriage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-25 |title=Malawi Outlaws Child Marriage |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/malawi-outlaws-child-marriage/3824898.html |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>


==Court case==
==Court case==
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