The seventh Malawi's multiparty general election in 2025, exposed a persistent pattern of exclusion, a rooted political system that rewards money, incumbency, and male networks more than merit inclusion, frustrating women's ability to climb the ladders of power.

The ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Maputo Protocol, and the Southern African Development Community's Protocol on Gender and Development, all calling for equal participation in decision-making structures, show that the country has strong commitments only on paper, but weak on the ground.

Electoral stakeholders say the 16 September, 2025 general election was historic, not only for its competitiveness but also for its revelation about the state of women's political participation in the country.

Our reporter Franklin Mtambalika is posing a question; From the 1994 multiparty election to date, has the country's politics demonstrated what it takes to embrace gender equality and inclusion?