Access to Legal Aid - Malawi

Access to legal aid for women in Malawi

Malawi’s gender legal and policy framework promotes gender equality and safeguards the welfare and participation of women in social, political and economic development process. It is enshrined in sections 20, 24 and 40 of the constitution. Moreover, the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act); Anatomy Act; Prevention of Domestic Violence Act; Deceased Estates Act; Child Care, Protection and Justice Act; and Gender Equality Act deal with specific aspects of gender equality and women empowerment.

The National Gender Policy provides an overarching policy framework while the National Plan of Action to Combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Malawi (2014-2020) provides a programmatic intervention to combat GBV. Details of the main organizations providing legal aid services to women in Malawi are provided below.