Episode 24: Spotlight: Feminist Movement Builders' School with Christie Banda

Spotlight on Feminist Movement Builders School
These episodes are a conversation with participants from our second Feminist Movement Builders School convened in partnership with Just Associates in August 2024.

About the episode

In this episode of Runway to Feminist Justice, Nadia Asri speaks with Christie Banda, a feminist leader from Malawi. Christie reflects on her leadership journey, the power of collective feminist strategies, and the transformative potential of feminist Action Research.

As part of FMBS, Christie is one of the participants leading a collaborative feminist action research project examining the prevalence of conversion practices experienced by LBQ women in Malawi. She discusses the political and practical challenges of designing and conducting research in this context, and why knowledge production is central to feminist resistance and movement building.

This conversation speaks to the need to document community-based realities in ways that are participatory, strategic, and grounded in care.

Bio

Christie Banda is a feminist gender justice leader, social policy strategist, and Founder of the Woven Agenda Foundation, as well as Co-Founder of the LBQ Women Coalition in Malawi. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of research, advocacy, and community empowerment, her work spans transformative initiatives in gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, and accountable governance. Christie’s impact is grounded in deep partnerships with grassroots movements and policy institutions. She has played a pivotal role in shaping national and regional responses to gender-based violence, child marriage, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and continues to lead inclusive policy change through intersectional feminist frameworks.

Credits

Interviewee: Christie Banda
Interviewer: Nadia Asri
Produced by: The Feminist Centre for Racial Justice
Sound design and editing: Nadia Asri