It is a sunny Thursday in Machinga District.
Mary Manyamula, wife to Group Village Head (GVH) Manyamula of Traditional Authority (TA) Sitola, sits comfortably on a reed mat in front of her family house — ready to mediate a local dispute.

In Malawi, women have often been excluded from peacebuilding and conflict prevention processes, despite being disproportionately affected by the consequences of conflict. But things are beginning to change.

A new role in the village

For years, Mary watched silently as her husband handled local disputes. But today, she is resolving a domestic disagreement involving a man accused of secretly selling household maize.

With patience and neutrality, Mary guides the couple on the importance of communication and unity when making family financial decisions.

Just a week earlier, she mediated another case — a child negligence incident involving a mother who left her three-month-old baby with the father, claiming he had failed to support them.

The matter was first brought to GVH Manyamula, who then asked Mary to handle it. After a family meeting involving all concerned parties, it was agreed that the baby should return to the mother’s care and that the father should provide full support.

Stepping up when it matters most

Perhaps the most striking example of Mary’s leadership came when a young man, contracted to build a house, received K50,000 as part payment but failed to deliver the work.

When the matter reached GVH Manyamula, Mary noticed that her husband was visibly angry and too emotional to rule fairly.

“I saw that he was too upset to be objective,” Mary recalls. “So, I asked to step in.”

Calmly, she listened to both parties, reminded them of their responsibilities, and helped them reach a fair resolution. The young man agreed to refund the money.

Her husband now acknowledges her growing influence:

“At first, I didn’t realize how powerful she could be. Now, I rely on her insight,” says GVH Manyamula.

Empowered through training

In May 2025, Mary received training in leadership, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, economic empowerment, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response.

The training was conducted by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) through the Sustaining Community Women’s Movement for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Response in Malawi Project, aimed at enhancing women’s and girls’ participation in conflict prevention and resolution.

Supported by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund through UN Women, the two-year project targets 1,750 women, 1,750 girls, 700 men, 200 persons with disabilities, 300 people living with HIV, and 50 people with albinism in Machinga and Phalombe districts.

Mary is not alone. Across Machinga, other chiefs’ wives were empowered to challenge long-held assumptions about leadership.

Elizabeth Limited, wife to Senior Group Head Kalonjere, recently mediated a land dispute while her husband was away.

“I went with the two to their fields and helped rework the boundary, which was a bone of contention. They agreed, and now they are living peacefully,” she narrates.

Peace begins at home

In the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mizinga, Beyata Sipiliano, wife to GVH Khuzumba, also uses her skills to resolve local conflicts and even within her family.

She once mediated a conflict between two women who are now close friends again. But her biggest challenge was personal.

For seven months, Beyata and her twin sister were not on speaking terms after a disagreement over religion.

When her sister decided to leave their ancestral faith and follow another religion, Beyata took it as a betrayal.

“I could not understand her decision. And when she said, ‘Even if we are twins, we will be buried in separate graves,’ I was furious. We stopped talking, and even our children stopped playing together,” she says.

Members of the Peace and Unity Committee intervened and brought the case before Traditional Authority Mizinga. Through mediation, the sisters reconciled.

“Today, both families live peacefully again. The children play together, and the silence has given way to laughter,” Beyata says, smiling.

Institutionalizing peace

Malawi’s Peace and Unity Act (2022) and National Peace Policy (2017) both aim to create a structured environment where Malawians can live in peace and enjoy their constitutional rights.

TA Sitola speaks during a peace building dialogue session in Machinga. Photo: YONECO

TA Sitola believes chiefs’ wives are essential to sustaining community peace.

“Marital disputes are always detrimental to development,” he explains. “In a village setting like ours, if a couple is fighting, they can’t go to the fields. When the fields are left unattended, hunger follows.”

TA Mizinga agrees, noting that women’s leadership at the grassroots is vital:

“Eight women are currently part of our local development structures. They contribute ideas, solve problems, and help our communities grow,” he says.

According to Mbanandi Saka Mahala, Project Coordinator for YONECO’s Sustaining Women’s Movement for Peacebuilding and Response Project, more women are stepping into leadership and decision-making roles.

“We are now seeing women speaking out against child marriage and gender-based violence,” Mahala says.

Why women’s voices matter

Ishmael Chuma, from District Gender Office in Machinga under the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, notes that including women in traditional leadership brings a much-needed gender lens to local governance.

He explains that chiefs’ wives often understand the daily struggles of women—from domestic violence to inheritance rights and can mediate with empathy.

Gender activist and Executive Director of Centre for Conflict Management and Women Development Affairs (Cecowda), Caroline Mvalo, says these stories demonstrate that women and girls are essential to preventing conflicts.

“Cultural norms should not deter women from leading,” she says.

Mvalo adds that gender equality, local governance, and peacebuilding initiatives are key to achieving Malawi 2063’s vision of inclusive and resilient communities.

Bishop Mary Nkosi, Chairperson of the Peace and Unity Commission in Malawi, emphasizes that involving women in peacebuilding initiatives is vital for achieving sustainable development.

“When conflicts arise, women often become more vulnerable than men,” she noted. “It is encouraging to see that women are now actively involved in detecting, preventing, and mediating conflicts within their communities.”

Towards a peaceful and inclusive future

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security urges member states to increase women’s participation in peacebuilding, decision-making, and post-conflict reconstruction.

Women like Mary, Elizabeth, and Beyata are proving that chiefs’ wives are no longer ceremonial figures but they are becoming central to governance, justice, and community healing.

Their efforts echo Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls on all nations to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable institutions by 2030.

At the same time, their empowerment advances Sustainable Development Goal 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.