Malawi launches Her Rise Women executive leadership programme, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) communications specialist BLESSINGS PHUMISA reports.
In Malawi, tongues are increasingly wagging about equal representation of men and Malawians in all spheres of life, with the Gender Equality Act that outlaw either sex from taking over 60 percent of public appointments and training opportunities.
However, a consensus is growing that increasing women participation in decision-making goes beyond increasing representation. The capacity of increasing women representatives matters too, a call to transformative training pathways.
The Malawi School of Government (MSG) has taken a decisive step to strengthen women’s leadership and institutional performance through the Her Rise x Pink Potential Women Executive Leadership Programme, implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the FutureGov project.
The initiative brings together senior women leaders from the public service, private sectors, development partners and policymakers to advance capable, ethical and results-driven women’s leadership as a cornerstone of Malawi’s development agenda.
It receives financial support from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund under the UN Peace and Development Fund.
During the launch, Mary Navicha, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, described Her Rise as a strategic investment that aligns directly with Malawi 2063, the long-term strategy to transform Malawi to an upper middle-income economy by 2063 .
“As Malawi strengthens its public institutions and improves service delivery, the role of effective, inclusive and ethical leadership cannot be overstated,” she said. “This programme comes at a critical moment, when senior leaders are required not only to shape policy, but to transform institutions and deliver tangible results for our people.”
The minister said it isworrying that women remain underrepresented at the highest levels of decision-making, not because of a lack of competence, but due to persistent systemic barriers.
The programme is designed to equip women leaders with advanced competencies in strategic leadership, policy influence and institutional management, while building strong peer networks and mentorship.
Beyond numbers
According to MSG director general Professor Lewis Dzimbiri, Her Rise is “an eight-month leadership journey designed to move women leaders from position to performance, from strategy to execution, and from ambition to impact”.
Delivered in four residential phases, the programme combines executive coaching, peer learning, mentorship and action-oriented innovation projects that participants implement within their institutions.
The programme was shaped by research and experience under the leadership of former MSG director general Professor Asiyati Chiweza.
“Malawi is not short of policies or plans; our challenge has always been implementation,” she said. “Her Rise was designed to invest in capability, confidence and execution excellence, so that women leaders can not only occupy leadership spaces, but transform institutions and deliver results.”
The programme is implemented in partnership with Pink Potential by Richemele International, founded by leadership coach Sarah Richson.
Leadership inside out
According to her, sustainable leadership does not come from giving until you are depleted.”
“Over many years of working with women leaders across Africa, I saw the same pattern repeat itself,” she said. “Women work hard to earn their seat at the table, only to spend their energy shrinking themselves, doubting their voice, softening their presence, or waiting for permission that no one else in the room is waiting for.”
Richson reckoned that the challenge has never been women’s capability, but the interaction between internal self‑doubt and systems not designed with women in mind.
“This is not a motivational seminar or a short course, but a structured, phased programme that works with the whole leader, executive presence, strategic voice, emotional intelligence, resilience and legacy vision,” she says.
UNDP Malawi supports Her Rise as part of its broader commitment to inclusive governance and gender equality.
UNDP resident representative Fenella Frost underscores that women’s leadership is both a human rights issue and a development imperative.
She states: “This work is grounded in a simple reality: women’s leadership must exist across the entire spectrum, public and private, national and local, political and economic.
“Gender equality cannot be achieved if women are visible in public leadership but excluded from economic decision‑making spaces. When women have access to economic power and leadership in business, the benefits extend far beyond individual success; they strengthen families, communities, and national development.”
UNDP’s support includes scholarships for public sector participants and complementary initiatives such as the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, which helps institutions move from commitment to concrete action on gender equality.
One of the participants, Madalo Nyambose, principal secretary in the Office of the Second Vice-President, described Her Rise as a transformative experience that has reshaped how she approaches leadership, decision‑making and personal growth.
“Through this programme, I have become much more intentional in my decisions, both at work and in my personal life,” she says. “I had never gone through formal coaching before, but Her Rise helped me understand that growth does not happen by accident; it has to be intentional.”
Nyambose noted that while many women excel despite systemic pressures, leadership pathways should not require women to silence parts of themselves to succeed.
“We should be able to recognise women in their own glory, acknowledging the responsibilities they carry, while still giving them the space to shine,” she said.
Her Rise is part of MSG’s broader Women and Leadership Thematic Area, alongside Her House, which targets women Members of Parliament, and Her Moment empowers emerging Gen Z women professionals.
Together, these programmes create a leadership pipeline that spans generations and sectors.
Navicha says: “Leadership is not defined by position, but by impact. “As you rise, uplift others. When women support one another, the impact extends beyond individuals to institutions and to the nation.”
