Looking back at the past century, we have come a long way. Even more could be achieved if collectively, we decide to accelerate action for equality. At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. We cannot afford to wait that long: our daughters and granddaughters’ chances in life depend on our achieving results now. 

I asked the women working at the EU Delegation in Malawi for their views on where efforts should be directed. They generously shared their sharp insights, and I have the honour of using this platform to amplify their voices:

Women should know their rights, including their right to education, their legal rights relating to marriage, inheritance, land ownership, domestic violence and childcare. When the economic situation worsens, many girls are forced into early marriages or pulled out of school to support their families' livelihoods, disrupting the enjoyment of their right to education. The lack of awareness of their rights, their agency, increases the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, further exacerbating the vulnerabilities of women and girls. 

The impact of climate change is huge on women, especially women living in poverty, and affects the enjoyment of their rights to food and nutrition. Women are most often responsible for securing water and food for their families. Poor access to food and nutrition impacts not only them, but their children, directly and indirectly – a hungry child cannot focus and process knowledge, a girl who fetches water cannot dedicate that time to her homework. 

A girl doing chores cannot play, and thus misses out on opportunities to pursue her passions, and develop her talents – to become a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, an astronaut, an artist, in other words: a role model for other girls. Deliberate interventions that target girls’ access to quality education to match that of male children - building more girls hostels, increasing bursaries especially for girls - make it possible for them to thrive and change the world. 

Families, elders, traditional leaders, communities, churches, the police, government agencies need to step up and do more to break the barriers. While laws and policies are in place to protect and promote women’s rights, more often than not, they are distorted or played down by those holding positions of power for the sake of maintaining peace and the status quo. We need these institutions to evolve, to accept change, to work around existing repressive laws and values, and focus on uplifting and supporting women.

Considering this is an election year, allow me to highlight women's equal participation and leadership in political and public life. In Malawi, we have seen that women can attain the highest political positions. This is important progress, but obstacles persist and as a result, women remain underrepresented in prominent positions, facing biases, resistance, hate and threats to silence their voices both offline and online. As we approach the September elections, let us remember that the inclusion of women is a prerequisite for a stable, functioning democracy. Political participation of women is a requirement for effective governance. Countries where women are equally represented in the political, economic, societal and cultural spheres, achieve better results when it comes to stability, fighting corruption and a strong democratic culture.

Significant barriers to gender equality remain, yet with the right action and support, positive progress can be made for women everywhere. This is why, this year, the EU is launching the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, to take action and make progress, and to guarantee key principles and rights for all women and girls. This roadmap will become the EU’s compass towards greater gender equality in all aspects of society and the economy, and will be our guide when it comes to our programmes and projects in the areas mentioned, in Malawi above. 

But we, as EU, can only do so much. To achieve results, we need all Malawians to work towards the same goal – girls, women, boys and men.