Women Still Facing an Uphill Task in Malawi Politics Despite Modest Gains

Malawi has once again fallen short of its own promises on gender equality, with the September 16 elections exposing the steep and stubborn climb that women continue to face in breaking into political decision-making spaces.

Statistics released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) show that 49 women have been elected into the 229-member Parliament. While this is a marginal rise from the 45 elected in 2019, the percentage has dropped to 21 percent from the previous 22 percent due to the increased number of constituencies.

For women’s rights campaigners, the numbers tell a painful story: progress remains cosmetic, and women continue to be sidelined in a political landscape dominated by men.

NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) Chairperson Magie Kathewera Banda acknowledged the increase but said Malawi is still stuck at the margins.
“Yes, numerically, we have moved from 45 to 49, but percentage-wise we are still at 21 percent. That is not transformative progress. As a country, we are not making the leaps we need to reach 50-50,” she said.

Advocacy coalitions such as the 50-50 Campaign and Girls Empowerment Network have invested heavily in training, financial support, and awareness campaigns to break cultural stereotypes against female leadership. Yet, the results of this election suggest that the barriers remain entrenched.

Women in politics continue to be hampered by three key challenges:

• Cultural stereotypes that view politics as a man’s space.
• Financial exclusion, where women lack the resources to compete against wealthier male candidates.
• Political gatekeeping, where party primaries and structures often disadvantage female aspirants.

Oxfam Country Director Lingalireni Mihowa said the challenges demand more than goodwill campaigns.
“The playing field is still uneven. Unless deliberate policy and legal frameworks are established to push women forward, we will keep hovering around this low percentage,” she argued.

Malawi is a signatory to the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which commits member states to 50 percent representation of women in decision-making positions. But while Malawi remains stuck at 21 percent, South Africa and Namibia are pushing above 40 percent, and Rwanda continues to set the global standard with over 60 percent female MPs.

“This comparison shows that Malawi’s struggle is not inevitable. With quotas or proportional representation, the numbers can change. But if we keep relying on goodwill and rhetoric, we will stagnate,” warned Malawi Human Rights Commission Executive Secretary Habiba Osman.

Osman added that Malawi risks entrenching a political culture where women are forever underrepresented. “This election has shown us that goodwill alone is not enough. We need institutional mechanisms—whether reserved seats, quotas, or proportional representation—if we are to move beyond 20 percent.”

The 2025 elections may have delivered four more women MPs than in 2019, but the overall picture remains bleak. For many campaigners, it is evidence that Malawi is still dragging its feet on gender justice, leaving women to fight an uphill battle in a system that continues to reward men disproportionately.

Until structural barriers are dismantled, the country’s 50-50 dream will remain just that—a dream.

 

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