Gay rights groups demand seat at table as Malawi’s human rights watchdog prepares shake-up

Campaign groups fighting for LGBTIQ+ rights in Malawi have launched a fresh push to secure a seat on the country’s top human rights body — insisting the community can no longer be locked out of the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).

The demand comes hot on the heels of a separate campaign, Youth-Decide, which piled pressure on the MHRC and President Peter Mutharika to hand a spot to a young, qualified commissioner as the watchdog prepares to overhaul its leadership.

In a pointed letter to the commission, the coalition of civil society groups was careful to praise the MHRC’s track record — but made clear the current shake-up was too good a chance to miss.

The groups behind the push include Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), Community Health Rights and Advocacy (CHeRA), Nyasa Rainbow Alliance (NRA), Social Justice Foundation (SJF), Angaza Foundation and Optimum Foundation.

“While we recognise the importance of ensuring representation of other vulnerable and marginalised communities, we respectfully submit that the current appointments present a timely opportunity to address the long standing absence of LGBTIQ+ representation within the Commission,” the letter states.

It goes further, warning that failing to act would leave a glaring gap in an institution meant to speak for everyone: “Addressing this gap would reinforce the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that no community is excluded from the leadership of a national institution mandated to promote and protect the human rights of all people.”

The row comes after the MHRC threw open the doors for public nominations in a notice dated May 15, 2026 — signed off by Law Commissioner Rosemary Kanyuka and Ombudsman Grace Malera — as the commission gears up to welcome its ninth generation of commissioners.

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