By Jones Gadama
247Malawinews has been conducting a systematic review of every member of President Peter Mutharika’s cabinet since their appointment and swearing in.
The objective is straightforward: measure performance against mandate, resource mobilization, policy implementation, and tangible impact on citizens. Each minister is scored on a 20-point scale, with 20 representing the full scale of exemplary performance. The series continues with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare.
Since assuming office after the September 2025 election, Hon. Mary Chisomo Thom Navicha has moved quickly to position her ministry at the center of Malawi’s human development agenda.
Her record combines resource mobilization, legal advocacy, social protection expansion, and international engagement in a way that is reshaping how gender and inclusion issues are addressed at both policy and community level.
Resource mobilization has been her most immediate achievement. Navicha secured a US$20 million grant from the UK-based Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to implement Malawi’s National Strategy on Ending Child Marriages 2024-2030. Valued at about K35 billion, the funding targets a practice that has kept thousands of girls out of school and exposed them to health and economic risks. Securing such financing in the first months of a new administration signals credibility with international partners and a clear focus on results.
She has paired that with steady work on the legal and institutional side. At the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Navicha outlined how Malawi is expanding One Stop Centres, Victim Support Units, and community paralegal services to improve access to justice for women and girls. She has consistently championed the Gender Equality Act, the Child Care, Protection and Justice Act, and the Trafficking in Persons Act, arguing that strong laws only matter if people can use them.
Her public stance on the rising threat of online abuse and cyber exploitation has also brought attention to a form of gender-based violence that was previously under-prioritized.
On social protection, Navicha has pushed for inclusion. She has overseen efforts to ensure persons with disabilities and households headed by women are not left out of the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
In Thyolo, she called for full inclusion of eligible persons with disabilities and persons with albinism, reinforcing the principle that social protection must reach the most vulnerable. The programme now reaches about 1.5 million people, with 70 percent in female-headed households, making it one of the largest safety nets in the region.
Internationally, she has used Malawi’s platform effectively. Malawi serves as co-leader with Canada and the Netherlands of Action Coalition 6 on feminist movements within the Generation Equality Forum, with her ministry acting as the focal point for the global acceleration plan running through 2026.
In March 2026 she visited the Scottish Parliament and the Scotland Malawi Partnership in Edinburgh, reinforcing 20 years of cooperation and using the visit to promote Malawi’s free secondary education policy.
These engagements keep Malawi visible in global policy conversations and open doors for technical and financial support.
Navicha has also maintained direct engagement with vulnerable groups. In 2025 she visited Kachere Prison, Malawi’s only women-only prison, to meet inmates and hear their concerns firsthand.
She launched the African Women Leaders’ Network Malawi Chapter in Lilongwe, urging civil society to sensitize citizens on violence against women and to provide audited accounts of donor funds.
Her ministry’s plans to mainstream disability inclusion, expand child protection services, and strengthen vocational training for persons with disabilities show a commitment to moving beyond rhetoric.
Cultural and youth initiatives have not been neglected. In December 2025 she supported the Miss Malawi competition, buying a guest table and using the platform to promote positive narratives around women and youth.
She has spoken consistently about intergenerational leadership, honoring figures like the late Chief Theresa Kachindamoto while recognizing living champions such as former President Joyce Banda.
What stands out in her first year is a combination of decisiveness and approachability. Stakeholders in disability organizations describe her as a minister who listens and acts.
Chiefs and vulnerable communities note her respect for traditional structures and her habit of engaging people as partners rather than as beneficiaries. That style has translated into faster feedback loops between policy and implementation.
Credit also belongs to the appointing authority. President Peter Mutharika’s decision to place Navicha in this portfolio reflects a deliberate choice to elevate gender, children, disability and social welfare to a central position in government.
Her track record as the first woman to serve as Leader of Opposition in Malawi gave her the political and parliamentary experience needed to navigate a complex ministry from day one.
Based on the verifiable actions taken between October 2025 and May 2026, the US$20 million secured for ending child marriages, the expansion of access to justice mechanisms, the push for inclusive social protection, the advocacy for women’s political participation, and the strengthening of international partnerships, the performance record is strong.
For these reasons, 247Malawinews awards Hon. Mary Chisomo Thom Navicha a score of 20 out of 20. Twenty points is the full scale on our performance card, reserved for ministers who demonstrate strategic focus, resource mobilization, policy delivery, and direct impact on citizens within their first year in office.
This series will continue across all ministries. Every minister will be assessed on the same criteria, without fear or favour, so that Malawians have a clear picture of where delivery is happening and where more work is needed.
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