International Women's Day: Social Media Campaign Interviews

"We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead." Beyonce

Wise words from a global female superstar. Our world is increasingly seeing more women taking the lead even if they do not always get the same limelight as Beyonce. For International Women's Day this year, Legal Women virtually travelled to Spain, New Zealand, Pakistan and Zambia to interview four female superstars. They all started their professional lives as lawyers and are now at the very top of their chosen fields.

Ayesha Malik became totally mesmerised with courtrooms as a child when she enthusiastically watched Perry Mason on television and decided she wanted to be a lawyer. Not an easy dream for a girl growing up in Pakistan to achieve where even today only 12% of lawyers are female. Ayesha is a determined woman who went on to become Pakistan’s first female Supreme Court judge. She also made history with her ruling on the ‘two finger test’1 - a primitive, insulting and highly traumatising practice which had hitherto not previously been questioned.

Monica Musonda quit her highly successful job as in-house Counsel and moved country to set up a food manufacturing business. This was in order to make food more affordable and available for people living in Zambia. Not a decision many would make but Monica is exceptional, determined and brave. Her business, Java Foods is today the biggest manufacturer of instant noodles in Zambia with 70% of the market share.

Columbian born Erika Torregrossa Acuna is a lawyer, professor, government adviser and expert in Human Rights in Spain. Her passion to defend those who do not necessarily have the resources to help themselves is a part of her DNA. Her grandfather Antonio Torregrossa was a Spanish lawyer working in Colombia who was assassinated after a trial where he defended a trade unionist. Erika willingly picked up his mantle.

Juliette Derry is the Principal Legal Advisor to the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment. She believes that working in the environment sector is not merely a job or a career but truly a vocation. To be a part of something that brings positive change is what makes Juliette get out of bed each day. She works tirelessly to make sure her own children, and future generations of children, can swim in rivers, go fishing and be happy in a clean world.

Four extraordinary women. Four exceptional lawyers. Four inspirational leaders. The world is changing. We used to say behind every great man, there was a great woman. Today women are not standing behind anyone, they are stepping up and ahead.

Read Ayesha, Monica, Erika and Juliette’s stories here;

https://legalwomen.org.uk/AyeshaMalik.html https://www.legalwomen.org.uk/MonicaMusonda.html https://www.legalwomen.org.uk/ ErikaTorregrossaAcuna.html https://www.legalwomen.org.uk/JulietteDerry.html

Maroulla Paul

Maroulla Paul

Maroulla Paul is a writer of short stories, a food and wine critic as well as a legal journalist

1https://sys.lhc.gov.pk/ appjudgments/2020LHC3407. pdfappjudgments/2020LHC3407.pdf

Supreme Court Judge Ayesha Malik

Ayesha Malik (legalwomen.org.uk)

Monica Musonda

founder & CEO of Java Foods - Zambian food processing entrepreneur — Lionesses of Africa

Erika Torresgrossa Acuna

lawyer, professor, expert in Human Rights

Juliette Derry

Principal Legal Advisor to the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment