What do Julius Caesar, Grace Bandawe, Franklin Roosevelt, Idi Amin, Moses in the Bible, Margaret Thatcher, Adolf Hitler, Kamuzu Banda, George Waya, Joseph Stalin, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pelé), Queen Elizabeth II, Jomo Kenyatta, Bonfess Maganga, and Barack Obama have in common? ANSWER: They were all nursed by a mother, and probably learned to eat, talk, or walk at their respective mother’s encouragement and teaching. – Janet Karim, circa 2023
This coming Tuesday, September 16 2025, seven million Malawians will rush to the voting booths to cast their votes in the 2025 General elections. The ballots will enable Malawians to elect the 7th president, 229 members of theNational Assembly (Parliament), and 509 local government councilors. The 2025 elections will be the second voting that is conducted under the 50 + 1 constitutional threshold for the presidential candidate and his or her running mate to be declared the winner.
A whooping 7.01 million Malawians registered to vote in the elections, with 4.09 million of them being women. Well done Malawi women, well done! Now please head to the voting booths, with one unified female mind, and vote for women candidates up and down the ballot paper.
For many years, all around the world, despite women having larger than the male counterpart population numbers, women have not fared well at the ballot boxes. Both men and women have elected men into positions of elected power, creating a huge imbalance in powerful positions.
In the forthcoming elections scheduled for Tuesday, the following (as a reminder) are the leading five political parties’ candidate:
- Malawi Congress Party (MCP) – Incumbent president, Lazarus Chakwera; VP: Vitumbiko Mumba, 2nd VP: Catherine Gotani Hara.
- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)– Peter Mutharika; VP: Dr. Jane Ansah.
- People Party (PP) – Joyce Banda; VP: Khumbo Kachali.
- United Transformation Movement (UTM) – Dalitso Kabambe; VP: Dr. Matthews Mtumbuka.
- United Democratic Front (UDF) – Atupele Muluzi; VP: Dr. Rex Kalolo
If Malawi’s 4.09 million registered women voters accept my advice, along with some good supportive men, then definitely all Malawi women 2025 candidate winners, will be dancing all the way to the Inauguration Stadium site. They will be singing BOMA Lathu! BOMA Lathu! BOMA Lathu!
In July 2024 the United Transformation Movement (UTM) withdrew from the governing Tonse Alliance, leaving the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to contest the elections on its own, and is one of political parties that have fielded a 2nd VP (a woman). Former President Mutharika is contesting with a female running mate. Another former President Joyce Banda, also in the running, is the only female candidate in the top 5 leading presidential contenders.
This a special tribute to the works of former President Joyce Banda in and also outside the Palace. To the four million Malawi women and supportive men, casting your heavy-handed four million plus, the votes you cast on Tuesday in favor of Joyce Banda is a vote for your future, a vote for your children, and most importantly a vote for the future of Malawi.
Additionally, both columns These Freedoms and My Take On It agree: four million Malawian women voters casting their votes for Joyce Banda and other female contestants for Parliament or Council wards, will be worth their voting power. The scoring slate worldwide is clear and certain, that when women take decision-making positions, things change for the better for children, women, youth, and the whole country. The whole country wins when a woman is at the helm of national power.
According to researchers, “women in positions of power are known for accomplishments such as enacting landmark legislation, expanding social welfare, navigating national crises, and achieving major political and economic milestones. Female leadership is associated with collaborative approaches and a focus on social and humanitarian issues.”
In government, many women in power (especially elected power), have been famous for being “the first.” These “firsts” have served as influential role models who have opened doors for future generations. Notable examples include:
· Queen Elizabeth I (England): The “Virgin Queen” (although not elected to her post), presided over a “Golden Age” of English history, marked by relative stability and a flourishing of arts and exploration. She also reigned at a time when women reached landmark heights in their push for equality and empowerment.
· Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka): In 1960, she became the world’s first female prime minister.
· Indira Gandhi (India): Six years later, Gandhi became India’s first and to this day, the only female prime minister.
· Golda Meir (Israel): Another first female and sole female prime minister is Golda Meir (1969-1974). Although she was forced out of power, in 1974, Meir led Israel in the 1973Yom Kippur War.
· Sandra Day O’Connor (United States): The first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, she was known as a pivotal swing vote on the court.
· Angela Merkel (Germany): One of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, she was Germany’s first female chancellor and navigated the country through numerous financial and political crises.
There have been female leaders who have used their positions to advocate for social change and human rights.
· Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia): Africa’s first elected female head of state, she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work promoting gender equality and reconciliation after Liberia’s civil war.
· Joyce Banda (Malawi): Africa’s second female head of state (2012-2014); she took over from late President Bingu wa Mutharika. Banda paved the way for creative ways of championing the empowerment of women and girls by working with traditional and local leaders, paving the way for them to take part in their areas to ending child, early, and forced marriages, and ensuring women have the safe deliveries of their babies by going to hospitals, health centers, and clinics instead of home deliveries. The latter registered the reduction of maternal deaths.
· Ruth Bader Ginsburg (United States): This Supreme Court Justice became a cultural icon for her lifelong work on gender equality and civil rights. Famous for ensuring that men also are treated fairly by laws of inheritance.
· Cleopatra (Egypt): The last pharaoh of Egypt, she was known for her strategic political alliances with Roman leaders to protect Egypt’s independence.
Thus whether it is in political and government leadership, championing social reform, business and entrepreneurial success and breaking barriers in male-dominated industries, creating new ventures and market, or monarchs and historical rulers, and expanding empires and modernizing nations, women have been leaving their marks all over the sectors all over the world.
This is why both These Freedoms and My Take On It columns are making the bold call for all registered Malawi women (all 4.09 million of you!) and supportive Malawian men, to vote for women during Tuesday’s 2025 General elections.
In conclusion, researchers believe that leadership, resilience, and a vision in shaping global politics marks a pivotal shift in history. Despite facing unique challenges, women who ascend to the highest offices bring transformative leadership styles, fresh perspectives, and often redefine governance. Many have led their countries being trailblazers, breaking barriers, while leaving indelible marks on history. (Copied from https://www.immerse.education/personal-development/leadership/female-world-leaders-12-women-elected-to-highest-office/)
