Distinguished women leaders hosted to a reception

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 advance the rights of women and girls in Malawi.

Our Executive Director, Maggie Kathewera Banda, an incredible woman leader herself, was there, and she was honoured to be one of the speakers.

In her speech, she shared insights from her 20-year journey championing gender equality, highlighting persistent challenges such as gender-based violence, limited access to justice, economic vulnerability among women, and weak support systems for survivors.

She said these realities informed her establishment of the Women's Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) and its integrated approach combining legal aid, GBV prevention, women’s economic empowerment, and access to productive resources.

‘For over 20 years, I have dedicated my life to advancing gender equality in Malawi out of a need that I saw. Women faced a myriad of problems and I stepped in and established WOLREC,” she shared.

She highlighted two key advocacy tools that now shape national discourse: the Women’s Manifesto, which unifies women’s voices and outlines their demands to duty bearers, and the Gender Observatory, launched this year to track commitments and influence policy action.

Reflecting on lessons learned, she emphasized staying focused and principled; “People often want to divert us by saying ‘men suffer too,’ but I speak for women. Our work is clear, and our commitment is unwavering.”

She further hinted at building strong relationships with government, guarding against divisions within the movement, and confronting societal attitudes that continue to undermine women’s rights as key to advancing issues.

Despite ongoing challenges, she expressed optimism about emerging opportunities, including a strengthening legal and policy framework and the rise of young feminist groups bringing new energy to the movement.