Athaliah Molokomme

Dr Athaliah Molokomme "obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Botswana and Swaziland in 1981, and a Masters in Law from Yale Law School, USA in 1983. From 1988 to 1991, she studied for a PhD in Law at Leiden University, the Netherlands, graduating in 1991 with a published thesis entitled: Children of the Fence: “The maintenance of extra-marital children under law and practice in Botswana.”

"She taught law at the University of Botswana from 1981 - 1996, with periods of study leave in between, and has researched and published extensively in the fields of family law, women and law, customary law and employment law. For the past two decades, she has been a regular speaker at national, regional and international conferences, workshops and seminars in her areas of expertise.

"Dr Molokomme has served on several boards, commissions and professional organisations at national, regional and international levels. She is also a founding member of several organisations including Emang Basadi, Women and Law Society in Southern Africa (WLSA), and Women, Law and Development International (WLDI). Among the awards she has received are the Women’s Human Rights Award from WLDI in 1993, and the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service for Exceptional Service to Botswana in 1999. In March 2005 she was awarded the US Ambassador’s award as one of the Vanguard Women Leaders of Botswana.

"From July 1998, she was founding head of the Charter of the Gender Unit at Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), until May 2003 when she was appointed judge of High Court of Botswana.

"In October 2005, she was appointed to her current position of Attorney General of the Republic of Botswana."

• Director, Debswana