By Tiwonge Kampondeni
Ministry of Information and Communications Technology has assured the Association of Women in Media (AWOME) of its support in advancing women’s empowerment within Malawi’s media sector.
Speaking during a meeting when AWOME paid a courtesy call, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Dr Shadric Namalomba described the engagement as a crucial moment in reshaping the sector into one that is more inclusive and representative.
Despite women making up nearly half of the media workforce, discussions revealed that they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions.
Namalomba pointed out that only about 2 percent of leadership roles are currently held by women, far below the 40 percent benchmark set by law.He stressed the urgency of reversing the trend through targeted interventions, including promoting media careers among girls in schools and colleges to build a stronger pipeline of future female journalists.
The Minister also highlighted challenges women in the media continue to face, such as online harassment and lack of proper support structures for community radio volunteers.
“Such conditions are unacceptable and require immediate attention,” he said.
However, Namalomba noted that while some progress has been registered, there is still need for more deliberate efforts to achieve balanced representation.
AWOME Chairperson Dorothy Kachitsa welcomed the dialogue, saying it opened opportunities to strengthen the role of women in the industry through mentorship and professional development initiatives.
She added that AWOME has proposed a partnership involving the Ministry and the First Lady’s BEAM Trust aimed at advancing programmes that will empower and support women journalists across Malawi.
