I was recently asked what the first thought that comes to my mind is when I think of women in Malawi.

I didn’t have an immediate answer at the time, but I know I had two words floating in my mind that hinted at how I feel about Malawian women: “unsatisfied” and “urgency.”

I feel “unsatisfied” because I think of the undiscovered strength Malawian women possess in a society that is very male-dominated. I think of the hidden potential which only sometimes peeks its spirit into the air and space where Malawian women live, just waiting to be discovered. Of course, some women have discovered their strength and found their calling after overcoming numerous obstacles, but my attention is still fixed upon those women who have yet to unleash their potential and learn to drive and direct their own lives.

The sense of “urgency” that I and other Malawian…