COUNTRY OF BIRTH

Nyasaland/Malawi

INDUSTRY

Politics

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

Joyce Hilda Banda is an educator, women’s rights activist, and politician. She served as Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and as Vice President of Malawi from 2009 to 2014. She founded the People’s Party in 2011 and was the President of Malawi from 2012 until 2014. She was the country’s first female VP and President.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Joyce Hilda Ntila was born in 1950 in Nyasaland, now known as Malawi. She earned a Cambridge School Certificate, a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Social Studies in Gender Studies, and a diploma in Management of NGOs. She married Roy Kachale at a young age and had three children with him. At the age of 25, she left Kachale due to abuse and took their three children with her. She remarried Richard Banda, a Chief Justice of Malawi (now retired), and they had two children together. Her experience of leaving an abusive marriage inspired her life’s work of helping other women get out of similar situations.

EARLY CAREER

Between 1985 and 1997, Joyce Banda established and oversaw various businesses and organizations. She founded the Joyce Banda Foundation, a non-profit that helps Malawian children and orphans through education. It includes a network of primary and secondary schools and an orphan care center. She also founded the National Association of Businesswomen in Malawi, the goal of which is to empower women economically, help them escape abusive relationships, and break the cycle of poverty.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN POLITICS

In 1999, Joyce Banda entered the world of politics. She won a seat in parliament and was appointed Minister for Gender and Community Services. During her tenure, she fought to pass the Domestic Violence Bill and designed the National Platform for Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children. She also developed the Zero Tolerance Campaign Against Child Abuse. Banda was reelected in 2004 and appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2006. In 2009, she ran for Vice President alongside Bingu wa Mutharika and they won. The two later had a dispute about Mutharika’s successor, which led him to try and fire Banda from the role of VP. According to the constitution, however, he could not fire her. Despite being urged to resign, she retained her post, which led to mass resignations in the party from her supporters. It also led her to establish the People’s Party in 2011. In 2012, Mutharika died suddenly, and since Banda was still officially Vice President, she succeeded him. Banda was tasked with the job of restoring diplomatic relations, which Mutharika had summarily torpedoed when he told foreign governments and banks to “go to hell.” She also promised to overturn Malawi’s law that banned homosexual activities and to fight government corruption. Despite her success in reestablishing foreign diplomatic ties, she was less successful at fighting corruption. During her time as president, a large scandal was uncovered, dubbed “cashgate.” High-ranking government officials pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars from the government. Though she dismissed her entire cabinet when the scandal came to light, she was no longer the favorite in the next presidential election. In 2014, she was not reelected.

RECOGNITION

Joyce Banda appeared on Forbes’ list of Most Powerful Women in the World several times: in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

• In 2010, she was named Person of the Year by the Nyasa Times.
• In 2012 she was given the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award in Washington, DC.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

Joyce Banda is the sister of Anjimile Oponyo, former CEO of Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, founded by Madonna.