The current composition chairpersons of local government councils and mayors in the country shows that only Likoma has a female council chairperson while 15 women are vice-chairpersons. There is no female mayor this time around. In this interview with Mzuzu Bureau Supervisor JOSEPH MWALE, ActionAid Malawi executive director YANDURA CHIPETA, whose institution is part of those championing the 50-50 campaign, says time has come for law reform to introduce quotas. Excerpts:
What do you make of this outcome?
The outcome is disappointing and rolls back the gains the country has made in advancing women’s political participation. More concerning is the fact this is happening 30 years after the world including Malawi committed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action which includes ensuring women claim the political space. I, however, attribute such retrogression to structural and social barriers that continue to disadvantage women in political circles. This outcome is sobering and provides those of us advancing the women political agenda an impetus to review and draw lessons from the interventions we have been conducting to redesign our interventions.
Some councils literally have no female councillor. Where do you think the problem is?
I can only speculate that perhaps our society has not yet accepted that women can take up leadership roles and perform efficiently. The socialisation process and negative stereo-typing of women maintain the status quo in politics, that it is a domain of men. As a country, we need to honestly reflect on why we are not electing women in such leadership positions as councillors. In addition, the majority of women still lack financial, cultural, political and legal support to fully participate in politics and assume key-decision making positions. So, the poor show of women in the election of city and district council leadership is not a failure of women. Rather, it is a failure of the system to create an enabling environment for inclusive leadership and sustainable development.
What does this tell about continued entrenchment of masculinity in the country?
It actually tells us that we need more concerted efforts to overcome the harmful forms of masculinity that hinder gender-equality and inclusive leadership in the country. This outcome is a reflection of persistent patriarchal norms that shape voter attitudes, political institutions, and leadership perceptions. It demonstrates that Malawi is still struggling to move from rhetoric to action when it comes to gender equality in politics, leadership and decision-making positions.
What ought to be done to ensure that more women are elected next time?
Non-State actors working in the gender sector will continue engaging political parties to ensure women are supported in their bid for leadership positions in the councils. In these two-and-a-half years, we will also build the capacity of women councillors so that they can gain relevant skills to effectively compete for the mayoral/ chairperson positions.
What strategies are required so that in the 2030 elections more women should win, not just as counc i l l o r s but, also, as MPs?
T h i s f i v e – year period provides a p l a t f o rm for building the capacity of women to engage in politics, working with communities to challenge and transform the patriarchal social norms perpetuating the marginalisation of women in politics and decision making. It is an opportunity to begin a national conversation of our legal framework if it sufficiently levels the playing field to enable the equal participation of women in politics or whether a review is required to ensure substantive representation.
Any take-aways from last year’s General Election?
Malawi needs to embrace affirmative action including reserving quotas for women seats, like what other countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe are doing. However, that must be complemented by programmes that focus on transformation of structural and cultural barriers that disadvantage women from pursuing political leadership roles. There is also need to leverage the male engagement as a strategy to change attitudes of their peers to support the women’s empowerment agenda. We need more men to be allies to the agenda. This needs to be complemented by collaborative action among government, civil society, d e v e l o p m e n t partners, and the media to shift public perceptions on women in leadership.
