The only four African women leaders to address the UN General Assembly

Joyce Hilda Banda of Malawi

Malawi’s Joyce Banda became Africa’s second woman president in 2012 after President Bingu wa Mutharika died that same year. Banda had been President Mutharika’s running mate on the ticket of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a center-right liberal party, in Malawi’s 2009 presidential election.

The DPP government was not interested in allowing Banda to take over the reins of the country despite the Malawian constitution clearly giving her the mandate.

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She is hailed for her commitment to women’s rights touching mostly on maternal health and reproductive rights. She is also the founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation International, which supports marginalized women and girls in Malawi.

She is the second African woman leader to address the UN General Assembly in 2013 and her speech centered on how her reforms had helped stabilize the economy of Malawi.

She also made mention of how she intended on achieving the then Millennium Development Goals, with emphasis on reducing child mortality, HIV/AIDS cases, and malaria. She further highlighted ways to sustain the environment and forge better global partnerships.