Malawi
Malawi is a poor country struggling to overcome decades of underdevelopment. We research governance and gender equality.
Current projects
Completed projects
Breaking BAD: Understanding the Backlash Against Democracy in Africa
Money Talks: Electoral Financing of Women
Analysis of the Political Economy of Malawi
The Political Economy of Governance in Malawi
Democratisation, Political Participation, and Gender in Malawi
CICERO/UD: Climate Services for Adaptation in Africa
Evaluation of project on prison conditions in Malawi
Review of donor support for anti-corruption initiatives in Malawi
Peoples' views of taxation in Africa
Elections and Democracy in Africa
Entrepreneurship and human capital
Evaluation of Norwegian Support to Protection of Cultural Heritage
Mid-term review of Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi
Accountability functions of courts
The institutional context of the 2004 general elections in Malawi
Review of DIHR partnership programmes
Bridging Research and Policy
Evaluation of Norwegian Support to Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi
Political Institutions in Africa. The Quest for Democratic Accountability
The role of supreme audit institutions in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda
KNOWFISH
The Political Economy of the Budget in Malawi
Assessment of multilateral organisations performance
The participatory aspects of poverty reduction strategies in Malawi and Zambia
Shire River management project: environmental assessment
Peaceful but still struggling
Despite its relatively stable post-colonial history, Malawi has yet to let peace and stability turn into economic and social well-being for the majority of the population. Since the transition to multiparty democracy in 1994, corruption and poverty have hampered development, and Malawi is still highly aid dependent.
CMI’s research aims to produce new knowledge on governance, power relations and gender equality in Malawi. Most of our research is carried out in close collaboration with Malawian colleagues and research institutions. Our work on women’s rights and gender relations focuses on the effects of interventions to increase gender parity in elected office, law reform to enhance women’s rights, and the consequences of women’s political representation.
Our research on governance adopts a political economy perspective within an institutional framework. It addresses power relations in the civil service at the central level, among traditional authorities at the local level, and the role of faith-based organizations in politics. The provision and dissemination of new knowledge about Malawi's political economy are expected to contribute to improving governance and enhancing democratic practice.