On September 16, Malawi went to the polls to elect president, members of parliament and councillors.
Among those who exercised their right to political participation were 78 candidates with disabilities, who contested in parliamentary and local government elections.
Out of the 78 candidates with disabilities, only five (all male) made it, representing 6.4 percent. Only one is a member of Parliament (MP) while the others are councillors.
“We acknowledge the positive milestone of five candidates with disabilities. This also highlights ongoing gender disparities, a critical concern that calls for the consideration of women with disabilities in initiatives that aim at politically empowering women during election times.
“While we celebrate these successes, the low conversion rate of 6.4 percent underscores significant challenges for candidates with disabilities. The gender imbalance is evident, with women constituting only 15.4 percent of candidates, none of whom has been elected. This clearly emphasises the need for continued advocacy and support to promote inclusive participation,” said Harriet Kachimanga, communications specialist for the Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (MACODA).
Of the 78 candidates with disabilities, 18 run as MPs (15 males and three females) while 60 participated in the Local Government Elections (51 males and nine females). Of the total, 34 contested as independent candidates, according to MACODA.
Down but not out
When the calling became louder and strong, Mphamvu Miracle Kalima did not hesitate but expressed her interest to contest as a councillor for Nyamadzere Ward in Nsanje District.
“In 2022 I decided I was ready to run as ward councillor in the general elections after undergoing training that non-governmental organisations were organising in the area. I have always wanted to actively fight and amplify the voices of the youth, people with disabilities and the elderly in my community,” Kalima told The Times Group, adding that her short stature became a source of ridicule from some sectors along the way.
Amid all the challenges, Kalima stayed put and run a vigorous campaign. Out of the 10 candidates that competed, Kalima came second with 2,642 votes.
“As an independent candidate, I run a very difficult campaign. I had little resources, mobility was a problem but I still managed to come second out of the 10 contestants, some of whom had political parties backing,” she said
Despite her loss, Kalima said she will bounce back in the next elections.
“For me, quitting was never an option because I felt that doing that would have discouraged many women and people with disabilities from running for public office because I know that having a disability is not a crime and is not supposed to limit my dreams. It is not over, I will bounce back, even stronger.
“For now, I will continue to be a voice of the disadvantaged. I will continue taking part in development activities as I used to be,” said Kalima, who has served in Voices of the Youth and People with Disability, Nsanje District Youth Network as vice chairperson and as the Area Development Committee (ADC) chairperson.
In Mulanje South West Constituency, Emilia Lucia Chapaheya came a distant fifth in a parliamentary race of eight contestants.
Despite her poor posting, she is not ready to abandon her political ambitions.
“Despite facing various challenges such as being denied access to hold rallies in other areas and receiving threats from opponents, the elections have shown that some people still believe in my capabilities. They understand that being a person with a disability does not necessarily mean I cannot do anything because I have discovered that those who are considered able and have been representing people have not done well in bringing development in their areas.
“So, I am not quitting, this is just a stepping stone. I will bounce back,” said Chipaheya, who stood as an independent and got 228 votes.
Levelling the playing field
Moving forward, MACODA said stakeholders need to conduct a post-election analysis to identify the key reasons for the setback.
“MACODA will remain committed to observing election results, supporting candidates with disabilities and addressing the systemic barriers that hinder equitable representation in our democracy. Further, under its legal obligation under the Persons with Disabilities Act, the Council will develop concrete guidelines to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in public and political processes like elections.
“Additionally, MACODA would like to implore all electoral stakeholders to look at disability inclusive electoral and political practices as a process and not an event; hence, there is a need to reform the country’s electoral legal norms and procedures as well as political cultures at the political party level in order to consider affirmative actions that would scale up political representation of persons with disabilities. One such area of reform would be lobbying for electoral law reform and advocating for the adoption of disability inclusive policies by political parties,” Kachimanga said.
The Disability Act of 2024 provides for deliberate policies and measures to guarantee the participation in political and public life of persons with disabilities.
“The government shall, through deliberate policies, create a conducive environment for persons with disabilities to effectively and fully exercise their political rights, directly or through their freely chosen representatives,” the Act reads in part.
On the other hand, the Gender Equality Act encourages equal participation of women in decision-making processes. But despite this, women continue to lag behind when it comes to participation in political spaces.
