Joyce Banda

Who is Joyce Banda?

Joyce Banda is a Malawian politician and entrepreneur who served as president of Malawi from 2012 to 2014, becoming the country's first female head of state and, at the time, only the second woman to lead an African nation. Before entering national politics she built a career as a businesswoman and grassroots activist, founding organizations supporting rural women's economic empowerment and education, including the National Association of Business Women and the Joyce Banda Foundation. She served as Malawi's foreign minister before being elected vice president in 2009, and assumed the presidency in April 2012 following the sudden death in office of President Bingu wa Mutharika. As president she pursued currency and economic reforms, austerity measures, and gender-equality initiatives, though her term was also marked by the "Cashgate" corruption scandal. She lost the 2014 election to Peter Mutharika and has remained active in African women's leadership networks since.

Sources: BBC News, "Profile: Joyce Banda" (2012) · Forbes, "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" (Joyce Banda entries) · Joyce Banda Foundation official biography