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HER-STORY TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY NGABU, CHIKWAWA How Ndachiona Ndapasowa found her voice — and helped a community of women find theirs Not long ago, Ndachiona Ndapasowa sat quietly through community meetings, watching decisions about her village's future being made without her. Today she chairs her Village Development Committee (VDC), stands before local councilors to demand clean water for her community, and is helping other women discover that leadership was never out of the

From village councils in Rumphi to the ballot box in Machinga, a joint EU-funded project is putting women, youth and persons with disabilities at the centre of decision-making. Across Malawi, a quiet but powerful shift is taking place in how communities govern themselves. Through the Promoting Gender Transformative and Youth Inclusive Democracy Project, WOLREC and Oxfam in Malawi, with support from the European Union, are working district by district to ensure that women, you

Over 350 service providers in Balaka and Lilongwe are being equipped to deliver survivor-centred responses to Gender-Based Violence through the PKN Programme’s Gender Transformative Curriculum. Strengthening Frontline Responses Strengthening the response to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) begins with strengthening those who provide frontline services. Through the Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza (PKN) Programme, more than 350 frontline service providers in Balaka and Lilongwe are bei

For hundreds of women in Traditional Authority Ngabu, Chikwawa District, financial insecurity has long limited opportunities to earn sustainable incomes, support their families, and participate in household and community decision-making. Today, that story is beginning to change through WOLREC’s Socio-economic Empowerment of Women in Chikwawa Project, funded by the Tom Cunningham Trust (TC Trust) through Trócaire. For Evelyn Luya, one of 625 women benefiting from the project,

Reaffirming a shared commitment to advance gender equality and end violence, the Women’s Manifesto Movement on Friday paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, in Lilongwe. The delegation included the Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza (PKN) consortium, comprising the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC), Girls Empowerment Network (GENET), and Human Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Malawi (HRWGDM), along wi

"As a Community Development Assistant, I believe that communities have the power to drive their own change. It begins with recognising their potential and what they are capable of achieving together. There is strength in unity, and together, we are capable. "This is why we need to join hands to break the silence, because if we remain silent, this violence will continue to persist,” said Atupele Jumbe, Balaka District Community Development Assistant responsible for T/A Nsamala

The Women's Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) and the WE-EFFECT team, led by WOLREC Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda, have presented a new project titled 'Women’s Land Rights' to the Dedza District Executive Committee. The project, which seeks to address structural drivers of poverty, gender inequality, and food insecurity affecting marginalized women in both patrilineal and matrilineal communities, has since been approved by the Council. WOLREC, in partnership with We

As we continue to advance post-election efforts to strengthen women’s political participation and leadership in Malawi, WOLREC, in collaboration with Oxfam in Malawi, convened a strategic planning meeting with the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus this morning in Lilongwe. The meeting forms part of the Promoting Gender Transformative and Youth Inclusive Democracy Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by WOLREC and Oxfam. It provided a crucial platform for dialogue,

The Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza Programme has strengthened efforts to combat Intimate Partner Violence, emphasizing that unequal power relations—particularly men’s power over women—are a root cause of violence against women. The programme also seeks to break the long-standing culture of silence that has protected and perpetuated such violence, recognizing that when communities remain silent, violence continues to thrive. In Balaka, the campaign in three Traditional Authorities o

The Parliament of Malawi has engaged WOLREC, NGO Gender Coordination Network and other Civil Society Organizations in a stakeholder meeting aimed at strengthening collaboration in governance. WOLREC Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda who is also NGO-GCN Chairperson was part of the meeting, hosted by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Sameer Suleman. The Speaker highlighted the importance of inclusive participation in parliamentary processes to achieve Malawi’s develop

Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhaza (PKN), through the Programme Lead, Meka Kamanga Gausi, proudly participated in the National Validation Workshop for two key frameworks: * The National Plan of Action (NPA) to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Malawi (2026–2030) * The National Gender Action Plan for implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2026–2030) "As PKN, we are honoured to have supported the review process of the National Plan of Action to Combat GBV, which bega

With support from CARE International UK, WOLREC Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda is in London for a series of high-level engagements. In commemoration of International Women's Day, CARE International UK is hosting a Week of Action from March 2–8. The visit aims to ensure that policymakers and decision-makers in London hear directly from women’s rights organisations that are leading transformative change—highlighting the progress made, ongoing challenges, and why this

The Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC), this week participated in the two-day Sub-Regional Networking Forum for Women and Girls with Disabilities, in Lilongwe. The forum organised by the Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA), brought together participants and advocates from Malawi, Kenya, and Rwanda to share experiences, strengthen networks, and advance regional efforts aimed at promoting the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities. During the forum on Thursd

Stakeholders, including Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) representatives, the programme’s Independent Advisory Board, consortium colleagues, and grantee partners convened in Istanbul Turkey from February 1 to 6, 2026 for the What Works to Prevent Violence, Impact at Scale 3rd Annual Programme Meeting. The meeting, among others, highlighted and celebrated the achievements, challenges, and learning of the consortia; built alignment on the story of What Works’s

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in partnership with Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) organized a two-day symposium in Blantyre to discuss how a well-organized childcare system can better serve children, empower women and contribute to national development. The event, under the theme ‘Advancing Childcare as a Strategic Investment for Malawi’s Future’ sparked strong commitments that will help Malawi move away from scattered, project-based childcare initiati

Together with its partners, WOLREC launched the Integrating Aquaculture Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Malawi project, which strives to integrate fish farming with crops, livestock and agroforestry, to empower small-scale producers—especially women—to boost productivity, income, and market access. The four-year Project, is implemented by the Co-Operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF Canada), with support from the Government of Norway, in cooperation with th

In June this year, the Women’s Manifesto Movement launched the Second Edition of the Women’s Manifesto, the advocacy tool that highlights the aspirations of women and girls in Malawi. This launch was strategic as they aimed to influence the political agenda ahead of the General Elections. Now that the elections are over, Our Reporter Lloyd Chitsulo engaged the Originator of the Manifesto Maggie Kathewera Banda, who is also the Executive Director of the Women’s Legal Resource

Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda has described the Human Rights Defender Award she received last week as an affirmation of her long-standing commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls. Kathewera Banda was honoured during a dinner in Mzuzu, organised by the Youth and Society (YAS) and its partners as part of the 2025 International Human Rights Defenders Day celebrations. Kathewera-Banda: This recognition strengthens m

A distinguished group of women leaders from government, civil society, the private sector, and academia were hosted to a reception by the Acting British High Commissioner to Malawi, Rebecca Fabrizi, at her residence in Lilongwe. It was an evening dedicated to honouring the remarkable women who are driving growth, inspiring change and shaping the future of the country while encouraging them to foster cross-sector dialogue, align on strategic priorities, and catalyse action to

Senior Technical Advisor for the Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza (PKN) project under the Whatworks Programme, Tina Musuya from Uganda, recently visited Malawi for a five-day working visit. During her visit, Tina appreciated the progress of programme implementation, offered constructive feedback, and identified learning needs as well as areas requiring ongoing technical support. During the week-long visit between November 22 and 29, she joined the PKN team in Blantyre as they convene