A silver lining in 60: the rise of Malawian women in leadership

A silver lining in 60: the rise of Malawian women in leadership

By Geoffrey Justice Kawanga

Malawi turned 60 on Saturday 6th July, but the fresh memories of the plane crash and the loss of Vice President Saulos Chilima and his 8-member crew tempered the celebrations. In an ideal situation, Independence Day is a joyous occasion, but the milestone was rather subdued and it was only befitting that it had to be marked by prayers as the nation continues to heal from the tragic loss.

Understandably, the subject of independence divides opinions, with some viewing it as nothing worth celebrating, especially given the economic upheavals the country has been through in the last six decades. However, despite all those challenging experiences, there are some milestones worth acknowledging. As the saying goes, every dark cloud has a silver lining. One notable area of progress over the years has been the area of empowerment

At the dawn of independence, few women held positions of influence, except for pioneers like Rose Chibambo, the first and only female Cabinet Minister at the time. Sixty years later, women are prevalent in positions of power in the Cabinet, Civil Service, Judiciary, Parliament, and the private sector.

The Civil Service is currently led by a woman, Ms. Colleen Zamba, who also sits on the Cabinet as the Secretary to the President and Cabinet. She is the second woman to hold this powerful position in 60 years, the first being Ms Hawa Ndilowe who served in Dr.Joyce Banda’s regime.

Dr. Joyce Banda’s ascension to the presidency in Malawi was a groundbreaking moment in the country’s history, shattering the glass ceiling in a patriarchal society where gender bias and stereotypes often limit women’s political aspirations. Her leadership not only symbolized hope and empowerment for women and girls but also demonstrated that merit, determination, and vision can triumph over entrenched gender barriers.

Other notable female leaders include the first female Inspector General of Police, Meryne Yolamu, and the female Chairpersons of the Malawi Electoral Commission – Justice Anastazia Msosa, Justice Jane Ansah, and Anabel Mtalimanja.

Again, the Malawi Parliament has its first female Speaker, Catherine Gotani Hara, and the country’s two prestigious public universities have female Vice Chancellors – Associate Professor Nancy Chitera for MUBAS and Professor Address Malata for MUST.

Yet still, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has, until recently, been led by Ms Martha Chizuma as its Director General.

These achievements demonstrate significant progress in women empowerment and gender equality, which were almost non-existent during colonial rule. As former Burkina Faso President Thomas Sankara said, “There cannot be any meaningful development without the involvement of women.”

The tale of women empowerment is a compelling story which is supposed to be told with grin, yet it is mostly overlookd by the difficulties the country has endured over the course of time.