The ‘Joyce Banda Effect’: Public Opinion and Voting Behaviour in Malawi

In the 2014 elections in Malawi, the incumbent female president Joyce Banda lost the presidency, and the number of women MPs was reduced from 43 to 33. This decline in women representation came despite opinion polls showing strong support for women’s political rights and for equal gender representation in politics. Why has women’s representation gone down when public attitude surveys indicate strong support for women? Click here for the answer. 

By Tiyesere Mercy Chikapa, Lecturer of Public Administration and Human Resource Management, Department of Political and Administrative Studies (PAS), Chancellor College, University of Malawi.

Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) Brief, vol. 15 no. 6, 4 p.