The Electoral Support Network of Southern Africa and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network jointly deployed an Observation and Learning Mission to the Malawi General (Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government) Elections held on 16 September 2025. The Mission comprised 12 observers who were deployed to four districts in the Central Region, namely Lilongwe Central, Salima, Dowa and
Dedza. The Mission undertook a comprehensive review of the political, administrative, and legal frameworks governing elections in Malawi. In addition, the Mission held consultations with key electoral stakeholders, such as citizen observer groups, women’s organisations and other international observer missions. These engagements were instrumental in enhancing the Mission’s understanding of the
broader electoral environment.

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The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), in collaboration with the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) and UN Women, convened a high-level dialogue titled ‘Electoral Reform Through a Gender Lens: Insights from Malawi, South Africa, and Namibia’, at Monomotapa Hotel in Harare on 27 October 2025. The workshop brought together over 40 participants drawn from women’s organizations, civil society, academia, media, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and other electoral experts with the aim of examining regional experiences and best practices to inform gender-inclusive electoral reforms in Zimbabwe.

ZESN Executive Director Mrs. Rindai Chipfunde-Vava opened the workshop by outlining the objectives, which included identifying best practices in gender-inclusive electoral strategies and policies from other jurisdictions towards enhancing women’s participation in the electoral process locally.

UN Women Representative Mrs. Fadzai Traquino, made introductory remarks, framing the discussions within the regional electoral reform landscape. In her presentation, Mrs. Traquino provided a comparative overview of recent electoral legal reforms in Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique, highlighting both progress and persisting gender gaps. She noted that while many of the 2023–2025 legal amendments in these countries aimed at strengthening procedural fairness, transparency, and administrative efficiency, most lacked explicit gender provisions.

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