Movement Makers: The Resilience and Leadership of Women Driving Change

The sun casts a warm glow over the dusty paths of Mwangolera Village in Karonga, located in northern Malawi, as Mercy Ndhlovie heads to yet another community meeting. Five years prior, she would have walked these same paths with her gaze lowered, just another overlooked woman in a system designed to silence her. Today, she strides with assurance—serving as a community leader, advocate, and a living example of the strength women can wield when equipped with the necessary tools to assert their voices.

Ndhlovie's journey mirrors that of many women in Malawi and beyond, raised with the belief that their worth is insignificant in society. "We were taught that men made the decisions, owned the land, and led the communities. Women simply endured." she states. 

The turning point arrived in 2019 when Ndhlovie participated in a workshop organized by UN Women's Women Empowerment Programme (WEP). Supported by the Norwegian government, this initiative operated across six districts in Malawi to address the fundamental causes of gender inequality through leadership training, economic empowerment, and advocacy.

"Those trainings felt like awakening from a prolonged slumber," Ndhlovie reflects. For the first time, she became aware of her rights—to safety, economic independence, and participation in decision-making. More significantly, she realized she was not alone; numerous women in Karonga were experiencing the same awakening.

As the WEP training sessions advanced, a remarkable change unfolded in Karonga. The women began to implement their newfound knowledge. Ndhlovie and her peers started to question the absence of women in their village development committees. They confronted local leaders regarding unjust land inheritance practices. They established savings groups to pool resources for small business ventures. With the backing of UN Women and a local partner, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), they began to witness tangible results.

By the end of the WEP program in 2020, the women of Karonga found themselves at a crucial crossroads. Would their advancements diminish in the absence of external assistance? In response, Ndhlovie and thirty other women made a courageous choice: they would continue their efforts independently. They subsequently established a group named Women Economic Platform (WEP), after the original project.

The group brought women together by sharing personal stories in trusted spaces—like markets and wells—then turned these gatherings into advocacy hubs. They rotated leadership roles in meetings to keep everyone engaged, connected savings groups with to leadership skills transfer and mentored women. What started as a small assembly of determined women has evolved into a robust collective movement of 131 members advocating for change, convening monthly, and entirely funded by member contributions of 500 Malawi Kwacha each.

The effects have been transformative. In local councils where women were previously marginalized, they now hold half of the leadership roles, a result of a deliberate 50/50 national policy that the group championed. "Now, if a man is the chairperson, a woman must serve as the vice-chair," Ndhlovie explains. "This was unimaginable in the past."

Their advocacy has led to significant systemic changes. For instance, WEP members uncovered that local contracts in their area were routinely awarded to male contractors through non-transparent processes at the district council. As a collective, they demanded accountability through advocacy meetings with council leaders. Today, women-owned businesses are successfully competing for these local council opportunities.

Most notably, the group has effectively challenged long-standing norms regarding land ownership. In Karonga District, patriarchal customs have historically placed women at a disadvantage, fostering a culture that denies them the right to inherit property, including land. The WEP movement has been instrumental in challenging these injustices by intervening in land and property disputes. In communities where such customs previously barred women from inheriting property, the movement now ensures that widows and daughters can rightfully claim their inheritance.

The impact extends beyond policy reforms. Chief Mwangolera, one of the few female chiefs in Karonga, has emerged as a formidable advocate for women's empowerment. "In the past, women wouldn’t even voice their opinions in meetings," she observes. "Now they are actively participating." She said. It is noteworthy that three-quarters of the members of the Women Empowerment Platform  occupy various roles within their communities and localities. In 2025, five WEP members are set to contest as councillors in the general elections in Malawi, particularly in the Mwangolera region. 

As Ndhlovie observes the latest group of women arriving for their monthly meeting, her expression brightens. "We're just getting started," she remarks. This simple yet impactful statement encapsulates the core of UN Women's mission—supporting women's movements that are effecting change in Malawi and creating a lasting impact for future generations.