Women’s participation in local development – A case study of Zomba District Council in Malawi

Malawi has decentralised development planning structures to create a representative system of local government and a base for participatory democracy in development. This paper, which is based on data collected through literature review supplemented by key informant interviews interrogates the extent to which decentralisation has generated opportunities for increased women’s participation and representation in local government development structures. The paper contends that although decentralisation has generated opportunities for increased women’s participation, men’s domination supported by systemic, institutional and patriarchal norms and weaknesses in the enforcement of policies complicate the situation. Therefore, pragmatic policies and actions must be pursued to improve women’s participation at local and national levels. These should include the introduction of specific quotas in local government structures, building public awareness on gender perspective, enforcement of existing gender policies and concrete action which translates into women having a voice, power, and the capacity to organise and mobilise themselves.