In the heart of southern Malawi, a quiet revolution is unfolding. In villages once torn by land disputes, political tensions, and gender-based violence, women are stepping into roles traditionally reserved for men—mediators, advocates, and leaders in peacebuilding. Their efforts, supported by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through UN Women, are transforming communities and challenging long-held norms.
From Silence to Leadership in Nsanje
In Nsanje’s Mbenje area, women’s movements like Chisomo, Yankho, and Tadala are rewriting the narrative. Trained in mediation and advocacy by the Youth Coalition for the Consolidation of Democracy (YCD), these women have become central figures in resolving conflicts and promoting peaceful elections.
During the tense lead-up to the 2025 primary elections, Tadala Women Movement convened a peace dialogue with representatives from six political parties. Their bold move helped avert violence and gave women a platform to advocate for their rights.
“We’re not just victims anymore—we’re problem-solvers,” says Stella Davie Maguza, chairperson of Yankho Women Movement. Their work has led to 17 Memoranda of Understanding with local chiefs, ensuring women’s inclusion in decision-making and conflict resolution.
Healing Divides in Machinga
In Machinga, a religious feud between two brothers—one a chief—was resolved not by traditional elders, but by women peacebuilders trained by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO). Their approach, rooted in empathy and respect, restored harmony and turned the chief into a vocal supporter of women’s leadership.
Since December 2024, women in Machinga and Phalombe have resolved 42 conflicts, ranging from land disputes to child marriage cases. Over 896 women and girls have been empowered, with 11 now holding formal leadership roles.
“Even chiefs’ wives are influencing decisions,” notes Chief Sitola, one of the few female traditional leaders in the district.
The Power of Peace Circles
For Brenda Charly, a Peace Circle Facilitator in Machinga, peacebuilding is personal. Once dependent and uncertain, she now cultivates tomatoes and red maize, earning enough to pay her children’s school fees.
“This Peace Circle saved my life,” she says. “We uplift one another, share ideas, and grow together. I’m no longer just surviving—I’m building a future.”
UN Women, with support from Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), is supporting and enhancing the capacity of local women led and women’s rights organizations to prevent conflict, end sexual and gender-based violence, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities in Malawi.
Brenda Charly is one of the facilitators advancing peace in her community. She was trained on peacebuilding by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), a local NGO, through the Sustaining community women movement for peace building and response to humanitarian response in Malawi Project.
“Together, we secured land to farm as a group, and now we support each other with the profits, whether it involves helping a woman who has suffered abuse reach the hospital or buying seeds for planting. Thanks to the circle, I got the seeds for my tomato farm, and this past season, I earned MK380,000 ($216) from selling my harvest. With that money, I paid school fees for my daughter in her final year of high school and put my youngest in private nursery school”, says Brenda. “We meet every week, and it’s more than just a group of women mediating for peace in our communities—it serves as a vital support system.”
Voices of Change: Ednah and Lezita
Ednah Zuze, a trained facilitator from Mizinga in Machinga, eastern of Malawi, has helped mediate dozens of disputes. Her group’s inclusive approach—welcoming people with disabilities and faith leaders—has earned community trust and shifted perceptions.
“Women need to take on these roles because we’re often the ones most affected by conflict,” Ednah says. “Now, people know we’re here, and that alone discourages disputes.”
Zuze is trained in prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence, leadership, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and economic empowerment. She is one of 60 facilitators promoting the participation of women in conflict prevention responses with support from the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund through UN Women.
“My mission is to bring peace to my community”, says Zuze. “In our area, disputes are common, whether it’s marital problems, village arguments over land, leadership clashes, or money issues. These conflicts happen between husbands and wives, among chiefs, even between young people. Before, many believed only men could mediate these disputes, but our training showed me that women can-and should—step up too. The biggest lesson for me was realizing we shouldn’t underestimate ourselves. We have just as much power to bring peace”.
Since March 2025, 36-year-old Zuze and her group have reached and assisted 609 women, 200 men, and 91 young people. Sometimes they hold community dialogues, other times they collaborate with chiefs or join existing outreaches to spread awareness about peacebuilding.
In Thyolo, 25-year-old Lezita Mukhiwa is breaking barriers as a councilor aspirant. A mentor with the Bvumbwe Girls Club, she’s challenging political exclusion and advocating for youth empowerment.
“Someone must step up. Why not me?” she asks, determined to bring clean water, better roads, and youth representation to her community.
“Last October, we learned how to be peacebuilders, learning how to mediate conflicts instead of being used as pawns during elections. Now, we teach and mentor other girls and women in our communities. We rally girls to stay in school despite the odds and encourage women who’ve endured abuse without knowing it was abuse to report to authorities when they are abused.”
A Blueprint for Peace
Malawi’s women are proving that peacebuilding is not just about ending conflict—it’s about transforming lives. Their courage, resilience, and leadership offer a powerful blueprint for communities across the globe.
“These women didn’t wait for outsiders to fix their problems,” says Francis Folley of YCD. “They became the change.”
As the world grapples with rising instability, Malawi’s story reminds us: when women lead, peace follows.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.
