We need more women in Parliament because we are 52 percent of the population
When Esther Jolobala told her family she wanted to run for a seat in Malawi’s Parliament, they thought the idea was amusing. “When I introduced the topic, everybody was just laughing,” she says. “Laughing because they believed that politics can be only done by retired people or well-to-do families.” Or men, who make up the largest number of the 193 seats in Parliament in Malawi. Thanks to women like Jolobala , there are now 40 women Members of Parliament, part of an effort to make Malawi’s legislature more inclusive supported by Oxfam in collaboration with [partners] .
Oxfam’s work with female members of Parliament started in 2017 with the women caucus of 2014 to 2019 cohort which had 32 women MPs, and the 2019 to 2025 cohort which has about 40 women. Oxfam also works with women at council level across Malawi which were about 57 in 2019 and 11 in the 2014 period. This year we are also working with women aspiring MPs which are about 532.
Oxfam’s work with female members of Parliament started in 2017 with the women caucus of 2014 to 2019 cohort which had 32 women MPs, and the 2019 to 2025 cohort which has about 40 women. Oxfam also works with women at council level across Malawi which were about 57 in 2019 and 11 in the 2014 period. This year we are also working with women aspiring MPs which are about 532.
If you compare … the female MPs with the male MPs, you will find that the female MPs have done a good job— Honourable Esther Jolobala, member of parliament for Machinga East Constituency, at Nayuchi Health Centre.
The path to leadership
Born seventh in a family of 11, Esther Jolobala was the first in her family to be supported through secondary education. Trained as an accountant, she went on to make history as the first woman to stand for Member of Parliament in Machinga East, Malawi.
In Machinga East, women’s leadership has long been shaped, and limited, by deeply rooted cultural and religious beliefs. High levels of child marriage and persistent gender inequality have traditionally kept women out of public decision-making, particularly in politics. While resistance to female leadership remains strong, attitudes are slowly shifting through civic education, advocacy, and the influence of younger generations.
For Jolobala, the decision to enter politics came from witnessing inequality firsthand. While working in the city of Blantyre, she regularly travelled back to her home village and saw the stark contrast in opportunity and infrastructure.
“As someone who was working in the city of Blantyre, I was comparing the area where I was staying and my own village, and I was asking myself, ‘what is it that I can do to support my community?"
Fighting poverty and inequality in Malawi
Malawi has made important progress in recent decades, including reducing infant and maternal mortality and lowering overall poverty rates. Yet deep gender inequalities persist. According to the World Bank, women in Malawi are more likely to live in poverty, and UNICEF reports that women-headed households make up more than 75% of families living in poverty.
Today, women represent just 20% of Malawi’s Members of Parliament. Jolobala is one of them, and she’s determined to use her position to change the systems that keep women behind.
Oxfam supports training for women leaders like Jolobala to strengthen women’s participation in decision-making at all levels. The aim is simple but powerful: ensure women have a seat at the table where policies, laws, and budgets are shaped.
“Once women participate in these spaces—whether at village level or in national parliament, they can stand up for themselves, speak boldly, and fight for equality and justice for all,”— Alivelu Ramisetty, who leads Oxfam America’s Transformative Leadership for Women’s Rights programme.
Jolobala’s priorities in Parliament
Jolobala’s work in Parliament shows why investing in women’s leadership matters. Her priorities focus squarely on reducing inequality and improving daily life for women and girls.
Education
Access to education was one of her earliest and strongest priorities.
In rural Malawi, children, especially girls, often travel 10 to 30 kilometres to school. Many simply drop out. Jolobala worked to reduce these distances by opening new primary and secondary schools, helping more girls stay in education.
Health care and access to water
Jolobala also focused on improving basic conditions in health facilities.
Today, maternity wards in her community have running water, an essential but previously missing service. As Vice-Chair of Parliament’s AIDS Management Committee, she also helped advance the AIDS Management Bill to strengthen national responses to HIV.
Roads, bridges, and emergency care
Poor infrastructure makes accessing education and health care even harder for rural communities. Jolobala helped secure funding for roads and bridges, improving access for students and pregnant women alike.
She also helped secure an ambulance for the community, available 24/7, making life-saving care reachable, even over long distances.
Land rights for women
Land ownership is a major driver of poverty for women in Malawi. Widows are often forced off their land when a husband dies, leaving families homeless.
Ending child marriage
When Jolobala entered politics, the legal age of marriage in Malawi was 16.
She supported the successful amendment to raise the legal marriage age to 18, helping more girls stay in school and reducing early marriage and gender-based violence.
Encouraging the next generation of women leaders
Jolobala credits her family for supporting her education, and Oxfam for strengthening her leadership skills and confidence. “It was my brother who supported my education. It was Oxfam who gave me knowledge, confidence, and the strength to do my representation role.”
Encouraging the next generation of women leaders
Jolobala credits her family for supporting her education, and Oxfam for strengthening her leadership skills and confidence. “It was my brother who supported my education. It was Oxfam who gave me knowledge, confidence, and the strength to do my representation role.”
Through Oxfam, she learned how to engage communities, work with local development committees, and build women’s forums and local champions for change.
Now, after more than a decade in politics, Jolobala is focused on bringing other women with her.
Ahead of the 2025 elections, she continues to partner with Oxfam to encourage women, especially in rural areas—to step forward.
“We are seeing a large number of women showing interest. Together with Oxfam, we are building their capacity so we can change the narrative of politics being only for men.”
No one is laughing at Esther Jolobala now. And she’s just getting started.
