"My journey from rejection to representation"

"My political journey began in 2014, when I first declared my intention to contest as Councillor. In my community, the idea of a woman standing for political leadership was seen as strange, even unacceptable. The moment I announced my intention to stand, the threats began. Men in my party told me, “Politics is dangerous. A woman cannot stand here.” 

Those words were meant to silence me, but instead they gave me courage. If no woman had ever contested before in my area, then I would be the one to change that. I lost in the primaries, defeated not by lack of vision but by entrenched mindsets and the absence of support from men in the party. Yet I refused to retreat. I stood as an independent candidate, mobilizing my own resources and campaigning without a party behind me. Though I did not win, organizations began raising awareness about the importance of electing women leaders, planting seeds of change.

 In 2019, some women in my community encouraged me to try again. I contested once more, this time under a party banner. The challenges were the same, dismissal, ridicule, and even songs mocking my ambition. Some women joined in the chants: “You are a woman, you can’t do anything.” Yet I also found strength in the encouragement of others. I lost narrowly, with 7,212 votes against the winner’s 7,449. That closeness gave me hope. 

By 2025, I prepared once more. This time, the Chipembere Community Development Organization (CCDO) and UN Women, with support from Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund, were raising awareness in villages, convincing people that women could lead. Their work gave me courage. I believed, truly, that change was possible. And indeed, change finally came. I won, by 8,990 votes, while my closest rival received only 400. The people had spoken clearly, they wanted a woman leader. 

Today, as Councillor of Konjeni Ward in Thyolo, I see the pride in women’s eyes and the inspiration in girls’ voices. They tell me they want to be councillors, even Members of Parliament. They are no longer afraid, because they see me as proof that it can be done. Yet challenges remain. Politics requires money, and many women lack access to resources. Worst still, harmful stereotypes persist: that a woman in politics is immoral simply because she travels and meets different people. These attitudes silence women before they even begin. That is why I am determined to empower women economically. I encourage women in my ward to join Village Savings and Loan groups, to start businesses, to learn skills like embroidery. I myself farm and run horticulture projects so I can be financially independent. I want women to stand tall, not waiting for men to provide everything for them. 

Since my election in September 2025, I have already built a bridge across a river that children cross to reach school, repaired a collapsed school block, and rebuilt a bridge destroyed by floods in December 2025. These are small steps, but they matter. Balancing my roles as wife, mother, and leader is not easy, but it is possible. When the council needs me, I am there. When my community calls, I respond. And when my family needs me, I make time.

 My message to women and girls is simple: do not look down on yourselves. Courage is your weapon. Fear is the chain that holds women back. I had no car, no powerful backers, but I had courage and that was enough. If I could be voted as a political leader, so can you."

The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) mobilizes resources to empower women peacebuilders, humanitarians, and human rights defenders who are driving change in their communities. In the Malawi 2025 general elections, WPHF-supported women played a pivotal role in promoting women’s participation and leadership in rural communities, ensuring that women candidates and voices were meaningfully represented. By engaging communities at all levels, these women peacebuilders fostered dialogue, strengthened inclusive participation, and advanced the vision of Sustainable Development Goal 16: building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. Through their leadership, WPHF women not only contributed to peacebuilding but also helped pave the way for greater representation of women in elected office.