This article was originally published on Malawi24 ">Malawi24, Malawi's #1 independent news platform. A young Malawian politician has stepped onto a bigger political stage in Abuja, Nigeria, joining influential women leaders in a high-level conversation on the future of political leadership in Africa. Edith Kachale Banda participated as a panelist at the West Africa Women’s Political Leadership Forum, where she represented Malawi in discussions bringing together women from […] Read the full artic
A young Malawian politician has stepped onto a bigger political stage in Abuja, Nigeria, joining influential women leaders in a high-level conversation on the future of political leadership in Africa.
Edith Kachale Banda participated as a panelist at the West Africa Women’s Political Leadership Forum, where she represented Malawi in discussions bringing together women from across the region.
The forum, organised by the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was held under the theme “Accelerating Gender Parity in Political Leadership in West Africa: From Commitments to Action.”
Kachale Banda, who is the AWLN Governance and Political Participation Pillar Co-chair for Malawi, was among panelists in a session titled“Advancing Young Women in Politics: Building Regional Consensus for Inclusive Leadership in West Africa.”
Kachale second from left
The session focused on exploring regional approaches to strengthening the position of young women as political actors and identifying practical ways of increasing their participation and leadership within political and governance structures.
Other panelists included H.E. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Co-chair of the AWLN Youth and Emerging Leadership Pillar from Nigeria; Awethu Hope of ROAJELF; OlaOluwa Olawumi, EU Programme Manager for Democracy, Rule of Law and Gender Governance; and Soraya Koshoni, Head of Partnerships at Acropolis Women.
The forum sought to accelerate women’s political participation and leadership through concrete, time-bound actions while addressing structural barriers that limit women’s involvement in political decision-making.
The organisers said the meeting was also part of broader African efforts to promote inclusive governance and strengthen pathways for women’s political leadership across the continent.
The discussions are expected to contribute to regional commitments and collective action aimed at increasing women’s representation and leadership in politics.
