Women lawyers urged to embrace leadership
“As women, we have to work harder than men to gain acceptance and trust of fellow women and the public at large. When we have gained that trust, we become its custodians,” Bossa said.
Pheona Nabasa Wall, former Uganda Law Society president, called for deliberate efforts to increase women’s participation in decision-making while also addressing challenges affecting men. (Credit: Barbra Kabahumuza)
KAMPALA - Women lawyers have been urged to embrace leadership, mentor one another and use their positions to influence decision-making in the legal profession.
Speaking at a women lawyers’ leadership programme, former Uganda Law Society president Harriet Diana Musoke said confidence, respect, consultation and teamwork are key to successful leadership.
Musoke said women should not be afraid of seeking leadership positions, noting that leadership starts with how one relates with colleagues before being elected.
She said she never expected to become president of the Uganda Law Society, but her relationship with colleagues, mentorship and the respect she accorded others helped build confidence in her leadership.
“I never thought I would ever be president,” Musoke said.
She said while at university and later at the Law Development Centre, she mentored colleagues who often sought her guidance on academic work and legal cases.
Musoke said the interactions gradually built confidence among her colleagues, who later encouraged her to seek the presidency.
She urged aspiring leaders to build relationships with colleagues early because leading lawyers requires the ability to persuade people with different views.
Musoke also urged women to develop confidence and avoid saying they cannot do something. “Confidence is a very, very important thing that women have to come up with,” she said.
However, she cautioned leaders against being aggressive or disrespectful, saying respect for others is essential for effective leadership.
Justice Solome Balungi Bossa, former Uganda Law Society president and the first woman to head the society, urged women lawyers to mentor and support one another to increase their participation in leadership.
Bossa said women need mentors to encourage them, build their confidence and guide them in making appropriate career decisions.
She said women also need to work harder to gain the trust and acceptance of their colleagues and the public and should protect that trust once it is earned.
“As women, we have to work harder than men to gain acceptance and trust of fellow women and the public at large. When we have gained that trust, we become its custodians,” Bossa said.
Bossa urged women leaders to lead by example, listen more and establish facts before making decisions.
“Consult widely and think before you act. It has been my motto,” she said.
She also called on lawyers to use their position in society to promote legal and social justice, including addressing delays in the administration of justice, access to justice and fairness in laws.
Pheona Nabasa Wall, former Uganda Law Society president, called for deliberate efforts to increase women’s participation in decision-making while also addressing challenges affecting men.
Wall said women lawyers still face challenges, including cross-border practice and sexual harassment, which require deliberate action by bar associations.
She welcomed efforts by bar associations to support maternity leave for young women, but said fathers also need adequate time to participate in raising their children.
She also called for attention to girls at primary school level, particularly those affected by school dropout and cultural barriers.
Moise Nkundabarashi, president of the Rwanda Bar Association, urged women lawyers to prepare themselves for leadership by building their professional capacity, integrity, confidence and resilience.
Nkundabarashi said women should not only seek representation in leadership positions but should use those positions to influence decisions and transform the institutions they lead.
“Leadership has no gender. A woman lawyer is a leader by default,” he said.
He urged young women lawyers to build their expertise, networks, integrity and professional reputation and volunteer for difficult assignments.
“Do not wait for permission. As a female practitioner, you ought to be prepared,” Nkundabarashi said.
He also called on experienced women lawyers to mentor younger women entering the profession, saying one generation’s experience should become the next generation’s foundation.
Nkundabarashi further urged lawyers to embrace technology and artificial intelligence, saying the technologies could make legal work faster and more efficient but could not replace ethics, integrity and professional judgment.
He urged women lawyers to look beyond their respective countries and consider regional and international opportunities, including legal entrepreneurship and alternative dispute resolution.
Nkundabarashi said the ultimate goal should be to move women from representation and participation to influence and institutional transformation.
“We want to see impact,” he said.