Linda Kasonde: Opening Doors and Holding Them Open

WHEN WOMEN IN LAW LEAD

Perspectives. Positionalities. Politics

When Women in Law Lead is a blog series using storytelling and legal narratives to showcase how African women in law and leadership are transforming legal institutions and contributing to justice, the rule of law, and women’s empowerment. In a round of engaging questions, we delve deeper into the perspectives, positionalities and politics of women’s leadership in law.

Since its establishment on March 23, 1973, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) had never elected a female President until Ms. Linda Kasonde took the helm. Her presidency was not just a milestone but a transformative period that elevated the association to new heights, leaving a significant mark on its history. 

As a pioneer woman, breaking glass ceilings and having a track record of being the first female to hold various leadership positions, particularly in the law practice, is not only what Ms. Linda Kasonde is known for. Her story is of a woman who has made a mark in breaking not one but many glass ceilings and not only opening doors for young female lawyers in leadership but holding the doors for young female lawyers in leadership in the legal profession. She has proven that women do not hold leadership positions to meet quotas numerically but are capable of transforming organizations and institutions when they take up leadership positions. Her resilience in the face of challenges is truly inspiring.

Although Linda has shared much of her journey in her reflective memoir, Women, Resilience and the Will to Lead, the Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) actively sought her out to understand her story and feature it in the Institute’s highly impactful newly launched blog series, When Women in Law Lead. This demonstrates the institute's commitment to sharing inspiring stories of women in law.

IAWL: Briefly, please tell us who Linda Kasonde is and what inspires her.

LINDA: Linda is a Zambian lawyer who believes in the power of individuals and the collective to make meaningful change in the world. I believe in pursuing one's highest and truest self, which is just another way of adhering to the lesson in the biblical parable not to bury your talents. I am also a Pan-Africanist.

IAWL: How long did you serve as President of the Law Association of Zambia, and what motivated you to run for office? 

LINDA: I served as the President of LAZ from April 2016 to April 2018. I was motivated to make an impact on the Association's work to promote and protect the rule of law and constitutionalism in Zambia, which gave me great joy and purpose in life.

IAWL: How would you rate the success of the Law Association of Zambia before and after you took over the reins of leadership?

LINDA: Many LAZ Presidents have come and gone, but what makes LAZ so powerful is that successive presidents have largely adhered to the Association's statutory mandate. LAZ is an institution. It will endure and stand the test of time because it's bigger than any one individual.

IAWL: What would you classify as your topmost contribution as a leader to the Law Association of Zambia and the country?

LINDA: During my tenure at LAZ, I co-founded the Association’s first mentorship programme with now Judge Bubile Lungu Shonga which aimed to give young lawyers access to the knowledge and expertise of senior counsel. On LAZ’s 40th anniversary, I was charged with leading the team that put LAZ’s first-ever five-year strategic plan in place. That team, on the initiative of Mwenzi Mulenga, also redesigned the Association’s logo breathing life into its initial black and white colours to introduce LAZ’s current green and gold colours, whilst I came up with the current motto: ‘Justice, Honour, and Integrity’. We created opportunities for young lawyers to do fellowships and scholarships to attend conferences abroad, which supported and empowered many young lawyers. I also introduced the Association’s first newsletter in 2018, which I co-edited, and revived the Law Association of Zambia journal. During my tenure as President, the Council of the Law Association passed several statutory instruments that improved the running of the organisation, including the first-ever publicity rules, which loosened restrictions on advertising by legal practitioners, allowing them to advertise using websites and social media platforms. During my tenure at the Law Association of Zambia, we made several contributions to the law in collaboration with other members of civil society for over a decade. For example, we were instrumental in advocating for a new people-driven constitution. 

Most of the proposed changes to the Constitution were eventually passed in 2016, transforming the national constitution significantly by limiting the areas of the Executive and providing greater checks and balances on government. The Association also sued each and every Minister and Deputy Minister in Government, in their personal capacities, for failing to leave office during the 2016 general election campaigns after Parliament was dissolved. In a landmark judgement, Zambia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the Ministers ought to have vacated their offices after Parliament was dissolved as their positions as Ministers are dependent on them continuing to hold positions as members of parliament. The Constitutional Court ordered all the Ministers to pay back all the emoluments that they had earned during the three-month election campaign period. Towards the end of my term in office, we also put the plans in place for the construction of the new LAZ House in Lusaka which houses the Association.

IAWL: From your experience as a woman leader, what difference does having a woman at the topmost position in the Law Association of Zambia [and other legal organizations] make?

LINDA: Having recently watched a documentary on the lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart, I also appreciate that being a woman in a position of influence can challenge many people's beliefs of what a woman's role and position should be in society. I believe that the representation of women in positions of influence can greatly impact how women see themselves and what is possible for them. So, on a personal level, completing my term through all the challenges that I faced was a victory in itself. 

IAWL: From your experience as a leader of a great organization like the Law Association of Zambia, what are the main contributors to the success of a woman leader in the legal domain in Zambia?

LINDA: Every leader needs steadfastness, resilience, and particularly courage. As Dr. Maya Angelou once said, "Courage is the highest of all virtues because, without it, you can't exercise any other virtue consistently."

IAWL: From your experience as a leader of a great organization like the Law Association of Zambia, what are the major challenges for a woman leader in the Zambian legal domain?

LINDA: Patriarchy and misogyny are probably the biggest challenges to any woman in any kind of public role. Patriarchy is so insidious that many people who consider themselves to be supporters of gender equality really are not in practice, subconsciously. For example, many people don't understand why speaking panels need to be gender-balanced. Representation matters not just numerically but in substance as women bring different strengths to the table, and women as a group are diverse themselves.

IAWL: From these challenges you have encountered as a woman leader, what are your advice/recommendations to other women ascending to leadership positions in Law?

LINDA: Make it count. Make the impression that you're here to make an impact. Do your best and bring other women along with you and make men your allies. I am a Pan-Africanist who strongly believes in the power of individuals and the collective to make meaningful changes in the world. I also believe in pursuing one’s highest and truest self, as I believe it is another way of adhering to the lesson in the biblical parable not to bury one’s talent. Throughout my tenure as President of LAZ, I was motivated to make an impact on the promotion and protection of the rule of law and constitutionalism in Zambia, which is predominantly the work of the Association, and also aligned with my passion.

CONCLUSION

Linda associates the success of the Association with the institution’s statutory mandate, which commands strict adherence. The Law Association of Zambia has seen many presidents come and go, it is the strict adherence to the mandate of the association that ensures that the association stands the test of time as the mandate is bigger and greater than any individual who leads it at any point in time. Linda's achievements as the Association’s president can be categorized into advocacy, effective administration reforms of the Association, stronger collaborative ties with civil societies and finally, fighting impunity through legal action.