United States Department of State

Malawi United States Department of State

The most significant human rights problems in the country included official corruption, excessive use of force by security officers, including unlawful killings, and harsh prison and detention center conditions. Other human rights problems included arbitrary arrest and detention; lengthy pretrial detention; occasional mob violence; societal violence against women; harmful traditional practices; trafficking in persons; discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities; and child labor. In some cases the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem.