The more things seem to change, the more they remain the same in as far as gender equity is concerned in Malawi.
For example, in the March 26 2024 Karonga Local Government by-elections, at least 22 candidates showed interest in contesting, out of whom three were women, but none won.
In the 2019 general elections, 40 women and 19 young people made it into Parliament, representing approximately 30.5 percent. However, commentators argue that these figures are still low.
As the September 2025 Tripartite Elections approach, the issue of low participation among women and youth remains a significant concern.
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Despite numerous initiatives aimed at increasing their engagement, both groups continue to be underrepresented as candidates.
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This disparity not only undermines the democratic process but also stifles the potential for diverse perspectives in governance, according to the Women Legal Resource Centre (Wolrec).
For instance, Mzimba District has two female Members of Parliament (MPs) out of 11 and two female ward councillors out of 22.
Naomi Mwale, Gender Officer for the district, notes that while Mzimba produced a Speaker of the National Assembly—a motivation for other women— the number of women parliamentarians and councillors remains low.
She attributes this to factors such as low self-esteem, weak financial resources and lack of political support from political parties to which these women are aligned.
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“Our upbringing, which perceives women as inferior to men and thus needing to step aside when a man wants to contest, affects many women’s chances of winning elections or occupying decision-making positions,” Mwale laments.
On youth representation, Youth Officer for Mzimba North, Misheck Msukwa, states that apart from financial constraints and low self-esteem, young people also face a general fear of the unknown.
In Mzimba North, particularly Mzuzu City, there are five female ward councillors out of 15, with three falling within the youth demographic.
“Many youths believe they need to establish a name in society and accumulate wealth to persuade voters easily.
“However, they should realise that being young already gives them an advantage, considering our youthful nation. They just need to express interest in contesting and strategise on building networks,” Msukwa says.
Addressing the question of whether young people should wait to gain experience before vying for higher positions, Msukwa disagrees.
“One can be 80 years old and still behave immaturely. It all depends on exposure,” he says.
Persons with disabilities are also poorly represented in decision-making positions.
M’mbelwa District Rehabilitation Officer for Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (Macoda), Mary Zefania, expresses optimism about the potential for people with disabilities to hold important positions.
She, however, notes that they lack adequate representation due to ignorance and what she describes as outdated cultural practices.
“We must address harmful cultural practices that hinder people with disabilities. The 2018 statistics indicate that we make up to 14.8 percent of the total population, a significant number that warrants representation in all sectors,” Zefania says.
Wolrec is currently implementing a project on promoting gender transformative and youth inclusive democracy across seven districts in Malawi with funding from the European Union (EU) through Oxfam.
The initiative aligns with Malawi 2063 Enabler 2, which commits to engaging youth, women, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups in decision-making processes and resource allocation.
Wolrec Executive Director Mary Kathewera Banda says the project aims to enhance capacity building among women and youth interested in political participation.
It also involves engaging political parties to support the candidature of women and youth.
“We considered high-performing districts that have produced more women parliamentarians and councillors to build on their successes.
“Additionally, we included low-performing districts like Rumphi, Salima and Dedza, which did not produce any female parliamentarian in the 2019 elections,” Kathewera Banda says.
Officials such as Mwale, Msukwa and Zefania agree that women, youth and people with disabilities need support in capacity building, financial resources and creating a conducive environment to compete effectively in elections.
Recently, Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment Act 2023, the Electoral Commission Amendment Act 2023, and the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act 2023.
According to the Malawi Electoral Commission, these newly amended laws aim to ensure law and order in the electoral process, towards achieving free and credible general elections.
Among other provisions, the amended laws criminalise the use of insulting language during campaigns, addressing concerns raised by women who were often targeted.
