An entrepreneur, activist, politician and philanthropist, Her Excellency Joyce Banda served as the President of the Republic of Malawi from 2012–2014. She was Malawi’s first female president and Africa’s second. Prior to assuming office, President Banda served as a Member of Parliament, Minister of Gender and Child Welfare, Foreign Minister, and Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. While serving as Minister of Gender and Child Welfare, she championed the enactment of The Prevention of Domestic Violence Bill (2006), which provided the legal framework to support the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. In 1997, after receiving the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger that she shared with President Chissanu of Mozambique, she used the prize money of $50,000 to establish the Joyce Banda Foundation. It seeks to transform villages in Malawi and internationally through its work in supporting women’s economic empowerment, education, maternal health and HIV/AIDS programs, leadership training, and support for human rights. The Joyce Banda Foundation has reached 1.3 million Malawians with Women’s empowerment, education, maternal health, leadership, and rights.
“It is heavy, but I’m able to carry it. Why? Because I’m an African woman. An African woman carries heavy loads anyway. That’s how we are trained; we are brought up that nothing is unbearable. I use that now, positively. I use that now to have the thick skin that I have, and not fear, and move forward; and push; and push forward.”
