By Suleman Chitera
Mangochi, “Malawi“– The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has confirmed that 14 women are among the 93 candidates cleared to contest for parliamentary seats in the 13 constituencies of Mangochi District during the September 16, 2025 Malawi General Elections.
Although the number of female candidates remains low compared to men, stakeholders say it reflects a gradual increase in women’s political participation in Malawi.
Centre for Civil Society Strengthening (CCSS) Project Officer, Sinya Msiska, praised the development, highlighting that awareness campaigns and mentorship programs are encouraging more women to join the race for political leadership.
“This growing interest from women, though still modest, shows that barriers to female representation in politics are slowly being broken,” Msiska said.
According to MEC’s breakdown, the candidates include 31 independents, 12 from UDF, 10 from UTM, 9 from PP, 13 from MCP, 13 from DPP, 2 from AFORD, 2 from PDP, and 1 from Odya Zake.
Analysts say the trend in Mangochi parliamentary elections could inspire more Malawian women in politics, promoting gender equality and inclusive leadership ahead of the 2025 elections in Malawi.
