In celebration of CLGF’s 30th Anniversary, we are honoured to spotlight the inspiring stories of 30 trailblazing women in local government from across the Commonwealth, all members of the Commonwealth Women in Local Government Network. These interviews celebrate their groundbreaking contributions to gender equality and their transformative impact on building inclusive, empowered communities.

Kanungwe Chota (Zambia)

Kanungwe Chota is the Mayor of Kanchibiya, Zambia, and the first woman to hold this office. A passionate advocate for inclusive governance, she also serves as Vice-President of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and Chairperson of the African Women’s Climate Action Network, where she champions women’s leadership in climate action across the continent. Throughout her career, Kanungwe has advanced gender equality by pioneering policies such as the “Balanced Inclusion” approach in local decision-making and expanding women’s access to business and development funding in Kanchibiya. Her leadership reflects her belief in grassroots-driven development and the power of women and youth to drive transformation in communities across Africa.

Read her full interview here

Charmaine St John (Malta)

Charmaine St John was elected Mayor of Santa Lucija in 2019. She is currently serving her second term and is dedicated to improving residents’ quality of life and maintaining the locality’s greenery and cleanliness. She is a commercial airline captain with over 17,000 flying hours and also runs her family-owned pharmacy. She entered local government to bring her management and leadership experience to serve her community of Santa Lucija. She is committed to increasing the number of women in leadership roles, seeing this as key to normalising female participation in politics, much like the gradual acceptance of women in male-dominated fields such as aviation.

Read her full interview here

Esther Amina Sagawa (Malawi)

Esther Amina Salim Sagawa, Mayor of Lilongwe, leads one of Malawi’s largest cities, home to around one million residents. At just 31 years old and a mother of two, she is among the youngest female mayors in the Commonwealth. With qualifications in ICT, entrepreneurship, leadership, and marketing, she brings a strong focus on innovation and empowerment to her role. Mayor Sagawa’s vision is to create a modern, inclusive Lilongwe where residents—especially young people—actively participate in city affairs. Her priorities include improving city governance systems, promoting education and skills development, supporting economic empowerment initiatives, and enhancing urban infrastructure through cleanliness campaigns, tree planting, and improved parking systems. She is particularly passionate about youth development, ensuring that young people are not just beneficiaries but active contributors to shaping the future of Lilongwe.

Read her full interview here

CLGF 30th Anniversary Commemoration

The Commonwealth Women in Local Government Network (ComWLG) is championing women leaders from all corners of the Commonwealth. You can also view the full set of interviews on the 30 for 30 page

We are active across social media, and we have a dedicated Facebook page where you can network with others interested in women in leadership and women’s political empowerment.