By Jeremiah Mphande

Mzimba, April 10, Mana: As Malawi heads toward the 2025 general elections, women in Mzimba have welcomed an ongoing awareness campaign by the Women Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC) and Oxfam that aims to rally community support for women, youth, and persons with disabilities aspiring for political office.

The initiative, currently active in several parts of the district, is part of a broader campaign to promote inclusive political participation and challenge long standing barriers faced by marginalized groups.

The commendation was made on Wednesday at Endindeni Trading Centre during a community dialogue organized under the EU-funded project “Promoting Gender Transformative and Youth Inclusive Democracy in Malawi.”

Speaking on behalf of all women forums in Hora Constituency, Chikondi Mtabayira praised WOLREC and Oxfam for paving the way for greater representation of marginalized groups in politics.

She stressed that the initiative is not only timely but necessary for achieving equitable development in Malawi.

“We are extremely thankful to WOLREC and Oxfam for standing with women and youth. For so long, women have been sidelined from decision making spaces, but this project will help us rise with courage and confidence,” said Mtabayira.

Mtabayira, herself a community activist, noted that women face numerous barriers when attempting to contest in elections including lack of campaign resources, deep-rooted gender stereotypes, and limited access to political networks.

She said the project will help tackle some of these barriers by building leadership skills and offering mentorship to aspiring female politicians.

“The inclusion of young people and persons with disabilities is also commendable. It reflects the spirit of true democracy where no one is left behind,” Mtabayira added.

Group Village Head Mulumuzana Yesaya Nkosi, expressed gratitude to the organizations for recognizing the importance of inclusive governance.

“Our role as chiefs is to support the voice of every community member, regardless of gender, age or ability. We’ve seen firsthand how inclusive leadership brings development.

“This program is empowering our people to make informed choices and support capable leaders, especially women and youth,” said Nkosi

District Civic Education Officer for NICE Trust, Aaron Luhanga described the dialogues as critical in transforming mindsets and boosting confidence among underrepresented groups.

“These meetings are helping build the foundation for a more inclusive democracy,” said Luhanga.

“We at NICE remain committed to working with WOLREC and Oxfam to ensure that more women and youth are not just voters, but candidates,” he added.

Currently, only 22% of seats in Malawi’s National Assembly are held by women, according to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

WOLREC and Oxfam aim to significantly increase that figure by the end of the project in 2027.

The project, under the EU-Boma Lathu Programme on Democratic Governance is targeting seven districts of Mzimba, Rumphi, Salima, Dedza, Machinga, Mulanje, and Nsanje.