This project profile page contains information about The Republic of Malawi Police Service project including project results, impact, and effective practices. This page will be updated annually in line with EIF project reporting requirements.
| T/PCC | Updates | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||||||
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| Malawi | 57 | 6.69% | 95 | 12.84% | 95 | 12.18% | 106 | 13.42% | 105 | 13.09% | 102 | 13.04% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experts on Mission | 4 | 44.44% | 5 | 45.45% | 7 | 58.33% | 6 | 46.15% | 6 | 54.55% | 6 | 60.00% |
| Individual Police | 7 | 63.64% | 5 | 55.56% | 11 | 47.83% | 11 | 44.00% | 12 | 31.58% | 6 | 31.58% |
| Staff Officer | 3 | 21.43% | 4 | 20.00% | 6 | 31.58% | 7 | 31.82% | 7 | 31.82% | 6 | 26.09% |
| Troops | 43 | 5.26% | 80 | 11.43% | 71 | 9.78% | 81 | 11.10% | 80 | 10.94% | 84 | 11.64% |
The Malawi Police Service (MPS), established under Chapter XV of the 1994 Constitution of the Republic of Malawi and governed by the Malawi Police Act, operates under the Ministry of Homeland Security. Headed by an Inspector General of Police, it comprises a total force of 19,089 officers, working across six policing regions and overseeing 48 police stations nationwide.
The Malawi Police Service has a long history of participation in United Nations peacekeeping. Since 2000, it has contributed officers to various peace missions, including seven United Nations peace operations: United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), where it currently deploys two Individual Police Officers.
With women comprising 32 per cent of its personnel, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) reflects a significant level of representation of women officers. This is supported by a national legal and policy framework, including Malawi’s Gender Equality Act (2013), the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS NAP) (2021–2025), and the MPS Gender Policy (2025–2030), which set out commitments to advancing women’s participation and leadership across recruitment, promotion, deployment, and operations, including in international peace support missions. Uniformed women officers have also represented 40 per cent of MPS personnel deployed to United Nations peace operations since 2000, indicating consistent participation over this period. Notwithstanding this progress, fluctuations in deployment cycles between 2018–2022 highlight the need for continued, systematic efforts to strengthen women’s participation through evidence-based measures.
EIF Outcome 1
US$210,874
US$210,874
Malawi Police Service (MPS)
UN Women Malawi
12 months
2 April 2026
23 April 2026
23 April 2027
Nil
12 months
This project aims to enhance the MPS’s understanding of the factors that hinder or enable the participation and leadership of uniformed women within the institution and in United Nations peace operations. Drawing on the evidence and insights generated through the MOWIP Barrier Assessment, the MPS will develop a Strategic Roadmap to address identified barriers and capitalise on opportunities to strengthen and advance the role, leadership, and meaningful participation of women officers in the police and in peacekeeping deployments.
Gender Equality Act, 2013
National Gender Policy: second edition, 2015
Malawi Police Service Gender Policy, 2025-2030
Malawi Police Service Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, 2022
National Plan of Action to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Malawi, 2014-2020
SADC Regional Strategy on Women, Peace and Security, 2018-2022
EIF MPS Announcement | LinkedIn, 27 April 2026
EIF MPS Announcement | X, 27 April 2026
Nil
