Miss Malawi is a national beauty pageant which was introduced in 1970s, but later suspended by the one-party government of late founding president Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
Reasons for the suspension bordered around alleged activities which were not in line with Malawian values.
Later on, the beauty pageant was reintroduced in 1990s after Malawi transitioned to multiparty democracy.
The Miss Malawi beauty pageant attained spotlight in 2001 under promoter Carver Bhima of Events Management.
This was the same year Malawi witnessed one of her beauty queens Elizabeth Pullu (born 15 June 1978) representing the country at Miss World 2001 for the first time in history.
However, since then, the Miss Malawi beauty pageant has been embroiled in challenges ranging from mismanagement to lack of appreciation of the office.
This resulted in deplorable tendencies which do not treat beauty models with respect and dignity.
Now many years down the line, a young woman Bernadette Mweso has taken up the challenge to rebrand the Miss Malawi beauty pageant starting from this year.
In an exclusive interview with EveryWoman, she said she wants to turn Miss Malawi into a big platform for advancing women’s programmes.
Mweso is a well-rounded monitoring and evaluation specialist with a passion for development policy.
She became Miss Malawi brand chief executive officer of in April 2025 to reclaim the office’s lost glory.
“I am passionate about women’s leadership, youth empowerment and creating platforms that allow young people to realise their potential.
“My career journey has been rooted in development work, where I have worked with World Connect, Baylor College of Medicine, Afidep and Yoneco, focusing on health, education and community development. At the core of who I am is a strong belief that leadership is about service and leaving spaces better than we found them,” said Mweso.
She said her focus was to reimagine the pageant as more than just a beauty competition, but as a space for empowering young women and amplifying their voices on issues that matter.
Mweso has been a keen follower of the pageant since many years ago and dreamt of taking over its leadership to align it to development agenda.
“I have always admired the confidence contestants exude. However, I never understood the essence of having a beauty queen until I learned how it can be utilised,” she said.
Mweso said she wanted to shift the narrative from beauty being the only measure of worth to beauty with purpose where young women can be ambassadors for education, health, culture and social change.
Her experiences in development work helped her appreciate the power in young women when they are given the right platforms.
“And Miss Malawi felt like the perfect place to make that vision a reality,” she said.
Mweso went to Mwale Primary School in Rumphi and Ekwendeni Girls Secondary School before obtaining her Bachelor’s of Arts degree at the University of Malawi.
She recently attained a Master’s in Development Policy from KDI School in South Korea.
She said her academic journey has always been guided by her passion for leadership, women empowerment and development.
Mweso said: “The knowledge and skills I gained through my education have played a big role in shaping how I approach leadership today in Miss Malawi, with a balance of professionalism, empathy and a drive to create impact.”
She is a last born in a family of six (three big brothers and two older sisters).
Their parents died when she was young, thus they were raised by uncles, siblings and cousins.
“I grew up in a Tumbuka household that emphasized the importance of education, values of discipline, resilience and service to others,” she added.
Mweso grew up in villages of Phwezi, Rumphi and in an extended family.
She watched young girls married off at young ages and young people lacking ambitions beyond their environment.
“I always wanted more than that life, I felt confined and had to fight my way out of the seeming fate. My childhood taught me the importance of having ambitions, hard work, community and pursuing dreams beyond limitations,” Mweso recalled.
She said early lessons of her childhood continued to guide her to become a better person, especially in moments where resilience and people-centeredness are critical.
“I believe my upbringing shaped me into someone who is not afraid to take up challenges, but also someone who leads with a deep sense of responsibility. That’s why I am leading Miss Malawi office to greater heights this time around,” she said.
Their mission is to empower young women to lead with confidence, purpose and impact.
“Our vision is to see Miss Malawi become one of the most respected national platforms in Malawi, known for nurturing young leaders, celebrating culture and making a tangible contribution to national development,” she said.
Beyond this, she envisioned Miss Malawi as a growth hub for young women to discover their passion and purpose, a corporate social responsibility channel for companies seeking to make a lasting impact, a cultural and tourism platform that showcases the richness of Malawi to the world and an advocacy stage for non-governmental organisations advancing gender equality and youth empowerment.
According to Mweso, their greatest aspiration was to shift the focus of Miss Malawi from the pageant being seen only as entertainment to being a national developmental platform.
They emphasise on mentorship, education, advocacy and protection of the contestants, as seen in their 2025 Miss Malawi Masterclass which targeted top 30 contestants.
“Miss Malawi must also lead by example in safeguarding young women from exploitation and ensuring the crown represents dignity and purpose.
“This change is critical if we are to regain the trust of Malawians and restore Miss Malawi to its rightful place as a national pride.
“Pageants should be spaces of empowerment, not vulnerability and I am committed to ensuring Miss Malawi sets that standard. I truly hope the other pageants adopt this mindset as well,” she said.
