Scader Louis

a woman in a wheelchair wearing an African print dress with a Malawi Human Rights Commission banner in the background.
Scader Louis, ex Chairperson of the Malawian Human Rights Commision

Scader Louis is a former Malawian Human Rights Commission Chairperson. Louis is the founder of the Spinal Injuries Association of Malawi (SIAM), which she founded in 2011, and has published articles about disability in Malawi.

Life

Louis's father died when she was aged 12, and her mother died as she was about to enter secondary school. Her school was run by Catholic nuns who took her in. Despite doing well at school, she had two dependent brothers and was unable to proceed to university. She started working at the charity World Vision International, while studying simultaneously at Malawi College of Accountancy. In 2004 a minibus accident left her with permanent spinal injuries and confined to a wheelchair.

In 2010 Louis became a chartered accountant. She was the founding member of the Spinal Injuries Association in 2011. She was identified as one of Malawi's Human Rights Commissioners in 2019. President Mutharika appointed her to the 7th cohort of human rights commissioners, along with Dr Sunduzwayo Madise, Boniface Massa, Dr Bertha Sefu, and Stella Twea. Membership of the commission was completed by the Law Commissioner and Ombudsman Martha Chizuma. She became the Commission's chairperson and completed her tenure for this position in 2026.

She has continued to work at World Vision as a risk and compliance manager.

In 2026 her organisation was organising week long courses for those who had who cared for people with spinal injuries. The course was particularly aimed at those who had recently had the injury.

References

  1. ↑ jbokoff.DRF (2025-10-29). "My Story: Care, Support, and the Right to Live with Dignity". Disability Rights Fund. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  2. ↑ Santos, Jody (2021-12-26). "If There's a Wheel, There's a Way". Disability Justice Project. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. 1 2 Louis, Scander. "Securing Disability Rights through Inclusive Social Protection in Malawi" (PDF). inclusivepolicy.org. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. 1 2 3 Kabena, Charles (March 8, 2021). "Meet eight inspiring women from World Vision's Malawi team". World Vision. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. ↑ Chiuta, Wongani (2019-04-13). "'Professor of breaking the law?' Mutharika in MHRC appointments mess, urged to hire new commissioners". Nyasa Times. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  6. ↑ Benjamin, Foster (2026-05-26). "NGO trains people with spinal cord injuries". Nation Online. Retrieved 2026-10-13.