Some women’s rights activists in Malawi have raised concerns over the country’s sluggish progress toward gender equality in political leadership, as the 2025 general elections approach.

Out of the 20 presidential candidates approved by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), only one is a woman—a figure activists call deeply disappointing. 

While a record nine women have been selected as running mates, advocates argue this slight increase is far from adequate.  

“Merely having more women on the ballot does not translate to meaningful political participation," said Maggie Kathewera Banda, Board Chairperson of the Non-Governmental Organisations-Gender Coordinating Network (NGO-GCN). 

She says true representation means ensuring women have equal opportunities to lead, not just to support male candidates.

Beatrice Mateyo, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Empowerment of Women and Girls (CEWAG), described the numbers as a setback. 

“We are moving at a snail’s pace when we should be sprinting toward equality," she said. “How can we claim progress when only 5% of presidential candidates are women? This is not the inclusive democracy we were promised."

The 2025 elections will see just one female presidential candidate (5%) alongside 45% female running mates—a marginal improvement that activists say fails to address systemic barriers keeping women from leadership roles.  

“Political parties must do more than tokenism," Mateyo added. “Until we see concrete policies -like quotas and funding for women candidates—Malawi’s leadership will remain unbalanced."