Celebrating 10 powerful Black women in politics on International Women’s Day

Joyce Banda

Joyce Banda is the Founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation and Founder of the National Association of Business Women. She began her political career in 1999, winning a parliamentary seat in the third democratic dispensation in Malawi, under the United Democratic Front, representing the Zomba Malosa Constituency. She was later appointed the Minister of Gender and Community Services under President Bakili Muluzi, where she designed the National Platform for Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children and Zero Tolerance Campaign Against Child Abuse. She also pushed for the enactment of the Domestic Violence Bill. She was re-elected into the Malawi parliament in 2004 under the United Democratic Front. In 2006, President Bingu wa Mutharika of another democratic party appointed her Minister of Foreign Affairs. Banda was the running mate of Mutharika in 2009, and their victory at the poll made her the first female vice-president of Malawi (2009 – 2012). Due to the death of President Mutharika on April 5, 2012, Banda was sworn in on April 7, 2012, as the first female President of Malawi. She is the Founder and Leader of the Peoples Party. Banda was born on April 12, 1950.