Joyce Banda addresses members of US Congress, promotes women’s leadership

Malawi’s former president Joyce Banda on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, addressed some members of the United States Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, United States of America.

JB addresses US Congress members
Congresswoman Jan Schakows of Illinois with Banda and Dr Garbriella Bardall
Joyce Banda making her speech

She becomes the first Malawian high-profile political leader to officially participate in a panel discussion before distinguished members of the US Parliament since Malawi attained political independence from colonial masters, the British, in July 1964.

In her discussion, Banda shared her own experience in running for political office; the challenges and triumphs of building the people’s confidence in democratic institutions; and the positives of female leadership to developing countries.

Banda suggested ways on how the United States government would contribute to preventing and mitigating violence against women in politics.

The former Malawi leader took the opportunity to share the contents of her most recent publication at the Wilson Center titled, “From Day One: An Agenda for Advancing Women Leaders in Africa”.

In that paper, Banda addresses the ways in which the girls and women who are born to be leaders are prevented from reaching their potential in sub-Saharan Africa, and proposes recommendations to ensure that more African women are represented in leadership and decision-making in government and elected office across the continent.

Banda was invited to the panel discussion at the US Congress on Capitol Hill by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to discuss “preventing and mitigating violence against women in politics”.

She was joined by the former Attorney General of Guatemala, Dr. Claudia Paz y Paz, Chief of the Leadership and Governance section at UN Women, Begona Lasagabaster, and the Permanent Observer of the Inter-Parliamentary Union at the UN, Paddy Torsney.

The event was hosted by Congressman James McGovern of Massachusetts, Congressman Randy Hultgren of Illinois, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Congresswoman Ann Wagner of Missouri, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, and Congressman Salud Carbajal of California.

An entrepreneur, activist, politician and a philanthropist, Banda is the former president of Malawi, making her the country’s first female president and Africa’s second. Voted as Africa’s most powerful woman by Forbes magazine and voted as one of the most powerful women in the world by TIME magazine, she is a champion for the rights of women, children, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

She is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents, whose primary goal is to use the symbolic importance of women leaders and the substantive experience of its members to support women’s full participation and representation in the political process at the highest levels, and encourage future women leaders.

Banda is a motivational speaker. She has spoken at a number of high-profile international conferences and forums, including the International Conference on Women in Beijing, the American and African Business Women’s Africa Conference in London, the Women Deliver Conference in Washington, DC and renowned universities and institutions of higher learning across the globe.

Continuing her tireless work encouraging women to enter political office and championing the rights of women and the disenfranchised, Banda has taken on a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship at the Center for Global Development, jointly with the Woodrow Wilson Center, where she brings her invaluable experiences as a leader in African politics.

 

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Mmihavani
Mmihavani
7 years ago

Where is her friend Hilary Clinton? Paja ankamulimbitsa ntima. Ngati yakanika America za woman president ndiye muzitiuza ife zoputsazo.

nanyati nanyati
nanyati nanyati
7 years ago

If JB was the best of the best, Smart, why make too many postings the same? Shame on you!! May be I should do the same.

nanyati nanyati
nanyati nanyati
7 years ago

If JB was the best of the best, Smart, why make too many postings the same? Shame on you!!

mtete
mtete
7 years ago

@nyasapaper, point taken. Let us agree to disagree. I have my reservations about her leadership style

nyasapaper
nyasapaper
7 years ago

@mtete and all like-minded: JB was the best president Malawi ever had. She was the most suitable to move Malawi’s economy forward. No one will ever replace her – she was just so good as a leader. When her predecessor Bingu had messed up the economy through cashage and losing donor confidence, JB reversed the the country’s odds and restored both the economy and donor confidence is less than 100 days of her stay in office as president. This included investigating cashgate suspects and arresting them. She was moved out office not because she lost the election but the election… Read more »

mtete
mtete
7 years ago

No comments. Funny how others think she is a true leader. Well, she failed miserably here at home. All she was good at was distribution of cows, goats. maize, etc, using public funds. And, by the way, she had her share of Cashgate. This is why she is scared to return home. Some prophet not recognized at home? Well, for good reasons. This woman is bad medicine. Let her continue addressing those who do not know the plight of Malawians.

smart kamdakoma
smart kamdakoma
7 years ago
Reply to  mtete

JB was the best president Malawi ever had. She was the most suitable to move Malawi’s economy forward. No one will ever replace her – she was just so good as a leader. When her predecessor Bingu had messed up the economy through cashage and losing donor confidence, JB reversed the the country’s odds and restored both the economy and donor confidence is less than 100 days of her stay in office as president. This included investigating cashgate suspects and arresting them. She was moved out office not because she lost the election but the election was blatantly stolen from… Read more »

smart kamdakoma
smart kamdakoma
7 years ago
Reply to  mtete

@mtete and all like-minded: JB was the best president Malawi ever had. She was the most suitable to move Malawi’s economy forward. No one will ever replace her – she was just so good as a leader. When her predecessor Bingu had messed up the economy through cashage and losing donor confidence, JB reversed the the country’s odds and restored both the economy and donor confidence is less than 100 days of her stay in office as president. This included investigating cashgate suspects and arresting them. She was moved out office not because she lost the election but the election… Read more »

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