She served as a judge on Malawi's High Court from 1998,[when?] as the first female Attorney General in Malawi from 2006 to 2011, and then as a judge on the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2011.[1]
Ansah served as the chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) from 2016 to 2020,[2][3] and is most known for her actions in that position during the 2019 Malawian general election. Her role in this position sparked nation-wide protests both in support and in opposition to her role due to election irregularities, leading demonstrators to call for her resignation.[4] In July 2020, Ansah resigned[5] and left Malawi,[6] but in 2025 she became a vice-presidential candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Malawi.[7]
Career
Ansah served as a High Court judge from December 1998. She then served as Attorney General of Malawi from 2006 to 2011. She was appointed as a judge on the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2011. One of the appeal cases she presided over in 2015 was the divorce settlement for Rachel Sophie Sikwese, who was a fellow High Court judge.[8]
Ansah was accused of mismanaging the 2019 Malawian general election which led to the Jane Ansah Must Fall campaign in which nation-wide anti-Jane Ansah protests calling for her resignation occurred in June and July 2019.[11][12] A group of women (pro-Jane Ansah camp), led by Seodi White and Minister of Gender Mary Navicha argued that Ansah was a victim of sexism and gender discrimination.[13] They staged counter protests in solidarity with Jane Ansah and her role in the elections.[14] Thousands of women marched in defense of her role in the elections, many wearing shirts written "I am Jane Ansah".[15] Both the High Court of Malawi (sitting as a Constitutional Court) and the Supreme Court of Malawi in their respective rulings which nullified the elections, found the electoral commission under her leadership incompetent and negligent.[citation needed]
Calls for Jane Ansah were intensified by the wave of demonstrations that were led by Civil society group Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) that was led by Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Billy Mayaya, Luke Tembo, Mcdonald Sembereka and others.[16] Other groups also demanded that Ansah resign, with Malawi Congress Party Diaspora Network Chairperson, Chalo Mvula, also adding calls for Ansah to go.[17]
On 21 May 2020, Ansah announced her resignation as chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission after two successive court rulings confirmed massive irregularities in the 2019 elections. Consequently the courts ordered that fresh presidential elections be held. On 22 May 2020 President Arthur Peter Mutharika accepted her resignation.[5] On 7 June 2020, President Mutharika appointed Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale as the new MEC chairperson replacing Judge Ansah.[18]
Political ambition
In April 2025 she became a Democratic Progressive Party candidate for the National Assembly.[19] In July she was announced as a vice-presidential candidate for the DPP,[7] supporting ex-President Peter Mutharika.[20]
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