“In Setswana, we say ‘go ruta mosadi ke go ruta sechaba’ meaning that ‘to educate a woman is to educate a nation’.” - Dr Athaliah Molokomme (2014)
Dr Athaliah Molokomme is one remarkable and outstanding woman who has been able to penetrate a male dominated field. Many call her Athaliah Molokomme, I call her my role model. Dr Molokomme is the first Motswana to become an attorney general in Botswana. This is a very notable step as Botswana is still in that era where women are still trying to make a mark in most fields, therefore this lady is very much an inspiration to most women, especially me.
Dr Molokomme holds a degree from the university of Botswana and Swaziland and it was in 1983 when she attained her masters in Law from the highly credited Yale Law School and later obtained a PHD from the Leiden University in 1991.This amazing lady has taught in the law department at the university of Botswana for 15 years and during her career she has made publications in the areas concerning women and law, customary and employment law.
Dr Molokomme has been highly involved in issues which involve women and has therefore been a founding member for groups like Emang Basadi which is an NGO aimed at women’s human rights with an aim to mobilise them to take steps that help change their political, social, legal and economic positions in the country. This group has been in existence for 29 years with approximately 2000 members which comprised of both men and women, she has also been a founding member of groups like Women and Law Society in Southern Africa and Women, Law and Development International where she advised on gender issues and developed policies on the empowerment of women.
In 2003 she was appointed judge of the high court of Botswana and 2005 she was appointed attorney General of Botswana, the position she holds as of date. She also represents the government at meetings, conference, boards and negotiations on a regional and international level, these boards include DEBSWANA mining company and the diamond trading company.
She has received awards including the Women’s Human Rights Award from WLDI awarded in 1993, the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service for Exceptional Service to Botswana awarded in 1999 And also the US Ambassador’s award as one of the Vanguard Women Leaders of Botswana which was awarded in March 2005.
They Call Her DR ATHALIAH MOLOKOMME,
I Call Her My Role-Model!