Dr. Malunga joins WLA board, receives legacy award

As the world celebrates women this month for their remarkable achievements and inspiration, the University of Malawi continues to honour women who are being recognized in various spheres. Recently, on 7th March 2025, during the Annual General Meeting of the Women Lawyers Association in Lilongwe, Dr. Bernadette Malunga, Head of Private Law Department at UNIMA, was elected as a member of the association’s Board of Directors.

During the AGM, the Women Lawyers Association established an award in honour of the Late Professor Ngeyi Kanyongolo, who once served as Associate Professor of Law at UNIMA, before being appointed as Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Malawi. The award is aimed at recognizing and celebrating female lawyers who are advancing women’s rights in the country. Dr. Malunga had the honour of being the first recipient of the award. She expressed her gratitude, and highlighted, as one of the reasons, the fact that the recognition affirms the impact of her work and serves as motivation to continue advocating for women’s rights and gender equality.

“This award is a bittersweet acknowledgment of the kind of person late Prof. Ngeyi Kanyongolo was, and the legacy award will keep her memory and work alive,” she remarked. She concluded by expressing her deep appreciation for the Women Lawyers Association, emphasizing that serving on its board is one way she contributes to the organisation’s growth.

Dr. Malunga was voted into the association for her outstanding contribution as a women’s rights activist, including representing the association in court cases.