The votes from an election with massive turnout are still being counted in Malawi’s too close to call (but apparently getting closer to resolution) national elections. While there are already some disputes over the tallies, there is a distinct likelihood that women could find themselves with greater representation at the highest ranks of Malawi’s politics than just about anywhere on the continent, with the exception of Liberia, where Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is head of state. And yet in Malawi the distaff tide might run deeper than in Liberia.
Would the presence of so many women make much of a difference in the actual governance of Malawi? Probably not. Unless one buys into essentialist, reductionist, or determinist arguments about gender, the importance of the increased status of women in Malawian politics probably should be celebrated because of what it does for women’s representation in politics rather than out of any sense that women are more virtuous, less warlike, more honest, or anyo other comparable generalization. Johnson-Sirleaf’s successes thus far have come not because she is a woman but because she appears to be a good, honest leader, committed to Liberia’s welfare and willing to move away from the Big Man politics of the past. (Note: All observations about Liberia should probably come with an implied caveat.)
