Margaret Kamwendo and her husband, Jackson Adam, live in a small rural village in Mangochi District, Malawi, where they are enrolled in Concern Worldwide’s Graduation Programme, an anti-poverty program that includes a gender transformation element.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi consistently ranks low on the Human Development Index—it was 172^nd out of 193 countries in 2022 (UNDP 2024). Eighty percent of the population relies on agriculture for income, so they are particularly vulnerable to damaging climate shocks. To support a pathway out of poverty and increase resilience to climate change, the Graduation Programme in Malawi offers a package of interventions, such as cash transfers, business training, and climate-smart agriculture training, depending on the needs of the individual.

Part of this program, known as Umodzi (meaning “united”), engages couples to reflect on and discuss issues such as gender norms, power, decision-making, budgeting, violence, positive parenting, and healthy relationships. In individual and joint dialogue sessions, the couples examine stereotypes and challenges. As a result of the sessions, wives report that their husbands now consult them on decisions and have started to share in household duties and childcare and that conflict and violence in the home have declined.

Jackson and Margaret completed all 12 sessions of the Umodzi program. Together, they have seen many benefits, such as shared decision-making. When they receive income, they sit down, discuss it, and agree on how to spend it. Jackson is doing more household chores and childcare than before. They have also shared these lessons with their six children, teaching them about respect and mutual support in relationships. Margaret wishes the whole village could take part in such training: “If the whole village was involved, there would be a great impact.”

1. This case study was prepared by Concern Worldwide. Umodzi was a gender-transformative approach in the Graduation Programme that ran in Malawi from 2017 to 2023, with funding from the European Union. It was delivered in partnership with Sonke Gender Justice. The program was the basis for research conducted by Trinity College Dublin, which looked at barriers faced by women pursuing a pathway out of poverty.