The Malawi chapter of this series profiles the status of women in Malawi from 1997 to 2004 and records the extent to which practical and adequate steps are being taken to address gender concerns in all development sectors. It examines how Malawi is fulfilling its commitments under the Beijing framework, the SADC declaration on gender and development and to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000. It considers to what extent the dimension of gender is being mainstreamed into every aspect of human life, examining all contexts within which women operate: social, economic, legal and political. The study is divided into three parts: the first giving background and historical context from a gendered perspective on matters as macro- economic structure, politics and decision-making, laws and legal reform, education and technology, culture, heath, media and corruption. The second part analyses the gendered impact of various policies and programmes introduced in Malawi between 1998 and 2004. The final part presents recommendations on how existing gaps in Malawi can be filled and the gender agenda taken forward.