Women aspirants decry increased general elections nomination fees

Women aspiring for parliamentary and ward councilor positions in Malawi have raised concerns over the recently announced nomination fees by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), describing them as prohibitive and detrimental to women’s participation in politics.

In a letter addressed to the MEC Chairperson, the women highlighted that the new fees—set at K10 million for presidential aspirants, K1.25 million for parliamentary candidates, and K100,000 for ward councilors—represent a steep increase from the 2019 rates of K250,000 and K20,000 for female parliamentary and ward councilor candidates, respectively.

The letter, co-signed by Promise Salima, a parliamentary candidate for Phalombe North Constituency, and Memory Kachisa, a shadow MP for Mulanje West, emphasized the financial strain such fees impose, especially in the face of Malawi’s ongoing economic challenges.

“These fees pose a significant barrier to women’s participation in politics,” the letter reads. “We urge MEC to reconsider and lower the fees to K5 million for presidential aspirants, K500,000 for parliamentary candidates, and K60,000 for ward councilors. Even at these adjusted rates, many women may still struggle to participate.”

The aspirants have in a statement emphasized the importance of promoting women’s involvement in politics as a pathway to fostering a more inclusive democracy.

They appealed to MEC to address the issue urgently, citing that financial barriers should not hinder efforts to achieve gender parity in Malawi’s political landscape.