Mary Piyo, a 43-year-old mother of seven children, six male and one female, is GVH Undi’s Village Development Committee Chairperson, a role that men in her area traditionally held. In Malawi, women are consistently less represented in positions of leadership. For instance, statistics indicate that women occupy only 23 per cent of the National Assembly seats, while at the local government level, women occupy only 14 per cent of the council seats. (Opening up spaces for women leaders’ participation in Malawi: The role of Social Media - Hivos) Like most parts of the country, the area of GVH Undi under Traditional Authority (T/A) Lundu in Blantyre district is not exempt from such concerning statistics.

Likewise, Mary was just another ordinary woman whom her society could never imagine giving her any leadership position in her society. The societal subconscious practice of ignoring women in leadership positions led to Mary believing that her abilities were within the confines of nursing children at home, doing household chores and supporting her husband. 

“At times, the thought of leading crossed my mind. But when I remembered the community I belong to, such a thought was easily put to sleep,” explained Mary. She pointed out that the culture she has grown up in made her believe that taking leadership positions was not a task for women. “I grew up with the belief that leading is for men. This was enforced when I got married since the counsel that was emphasised then was that I had to be submissive to my husband. As such, even in public, I kept standing by my husband’s leadership,” she added.

In April 2024, CYO provided training to traditional leaders in T/A Lundu on gender equality and human rights under the Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) project. The training was part of the project’s efforts to improve awareness among men and/or boys, as well as traditional leaders, on human rights, gender equality, and their social responsibility to bring changes in dominant social norms. Following the training, traditional leaders committed to affirmative action in their respective communities to promote women into leadership positions. 

Through a series of community-led awareness meetings that GVH Undi conducted in his area, community members' perceptions of women's leadership began to change. When the tenure for the serving VDC Chairperson and the rest of the committee expired, community members did not hesitate to vote for Mary as Chairperson. “I thought it would be daunting to combine motherly duties with leading the community, but the support I get as VDC Chair from my husband, relatives, the Group Village Head and the Community, in general, is so encouraging,” explained Mary. “The changed perception of women leadership in this community has helped me to easily manage roles both at home as a mother and a wife and in this community as a VDC Chair’” she added. 

Mary’s story is among many stories women and girls whom the Empowering Women and Girls project is targeting are proudly sharing. CYO is implementing this three-year project in Blantyre and Neno districts with support from Global Affairs Canada through the Commonwealth of Learning.