Big interview with Habiba Osman

Human trafficking is a subject that is rarely discussed. One woman trying to eliminate this practice is Habiba Osman. She talks to DUMASE ZGAMBO-MAPEMBA on the evils of the practice and the role she is playing as gender justice programme coordinator at Norwegian Church Aid.

Tell us about Habiba Osman.

I was born at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. I attended Chichiri Primary School and then High School in Zimbabwe. I obtained my first dual honors degree in law and international history at Keele University and my legal practice course at Chester School of Law in the United Kingdom (UK). I studied master’s in International Human Rights Law at the Centre for Civil and Human Rights, Notre Dame Law School in the United States.

Tell us about your family; especially how it helped you to go through challenges of school and training.

I am the eldest in a family of two girls. I grew up in a home with lots of male cousins, so I never really missed out on having a brother. My mother, Roselyn Chikowi Mankhwala raised us since my father passed away in early 90s. My drive and motivation to be a lawyer has always been influenced by my mother. My mother is my number one heroine. She is the founder of Ntonya International Schools in both Blantyre and Lilongwe. From this you can deduce that education has been a priority in our family.

How would you describe your childhood?

I had pretty decent childhood. I was fortunate that we had loving parents even though we never had the glitzy and glamour lifestyle and the abundance of technological gadgets as it is today.  But I grew up being given lots of books, going to the library and playing outdoors. I read books from Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys to Enid Blyton. My favourite cartoon characters were Tintin, Asterix and Obelix.

What childhood memories stand out for you?

Growing up and attending Chichiri Primary School. I went to a primary school that was liberal in some ways and had lots of friends from multi-racial backgrounds. But what stood out for me was my passion for drama. I and my sister, Fawzia, had a stand up or duo comedy. We would come up with all sorts of crazy plots and had the school entertained. Till today we are pranksters and joke a lot. Additionally, my father’s role in escorting us to the library every Saturday morning led to my becoming a book worm. He also lived and breathed books.

What dreams did you have while growing up?

I always dreamt that I would be a detective for a spy agency. I guess that was an illusion that I had because of the books that I was reading. Nonetheless, the fascination of courtroom drama and intrigue also played a role in this.

How did you find yourself in the legal profession?

Throughout high school my love for history, current affairs and literature  drove me to read law. I would mostly argue that one has to be inquisitive about why there is no justice, fairness and equality in the world and the idea of contributing to society can be a push and pull factor towards that end.

What does your work involve?

I don’t practice law. I have been involved in legal policy making decisions. My area of specialisation is human rights law. I am heading the gender justice programme at Norwegian Church Aid. This involves giving programme support to local partners and institutions through technical and financial support in the area of gender based violence and human trafficking.

Take us through your career journey.

When I finished University in the UK, I was offered a training contract with a firm in London for two years where I was trained in both civil and criminal procedure. I had a short stint at another major law firm Linklaters. When I returned  home I was offered a job at Lilley, Wills and Company in Blantyre under the tutorship of Mrs. Rosemary Kanyuka. While at Lilley Wills, I also did some pro bono (free) work with Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) which had the Lawyers Chapter before permanently being employed by the same.  The Lawyers Chapter did a commendable job of advocacy, legal representation and mobile legal clinics. The most exciting part of this journey was when I was offered a job with Norwegian Church Aid to coordinate their national programme on human trafficking, quite a new area that only started being visible around 2006 in Malawi

What is human trafficking?

In layman’s language, human trafficking occurs when someone tries to recruit, harbour or move you from one place to another with the promise of giving you a job or offer of marriage by using coercion, fraud, deception or force. It is modern day slavery

How serious is human trafficking in Malawi?

Malawi experiences both internal (domestic) and external trafficking. Internal trafficking is by far the larger component of human trafficking.  A study carried out by Norwegian Church Aid estimates that 70 percent of trafficking women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation take place within Malawi. We also have other forms of human trafficking such as domestic servitude, trafficking for the purposes of labour and organ removal.

Expound on internal trafficking?

Studies conducted in this country indicate a shockingly high rate of internal or domestic trafficking; where most victims come from the rural areas and are brought to the cities in the country. Women and children are promised jobs as domestic helpers or sales persons, but they end up being forced to work in brothels or bars or in the guise of overseas employment or adoption and even removal of body parts.

How are you personally contributing to dealing with trafficking?

I have managed a programme on the prevention of trafficking in women and children and countering trafficking in persons. The interventions include raising awareness about human trafficking as serious crime and violation of human rights, collection and verification of data, assisting in victim reintegration and rehabilitation, advocating for the enactment of trafficking law. I train religious leaders, police and magistrates in this area. In 2007, I was appointed special law commissioner in the Special Law Commission that drafted the anti-trafficking bill. Currently, I am the taskforce chairperson that is advocating for the passing of that bill into law.

What challenges are you facing in eliminating the practice?

There are many challenges. But my concern is that Malawi does not have specific legislation to combat ‘trafficking in persons’. This is negating efforts in the fight against trafficking. Consequently, perpetrators go unpunished or receive penalties that are not proportionate with the crime they commit.

What big sacrifices have you made in life for you to get to where you are?

I have had many opportunities to stay and live abroad but patriotism still grounds me here to contribute towards the common good.

How do you balance your career and family life?

I travel as much as I want to both within and abroad coupled with my role as a human rights defender. However, I still have time to be a daughter, aunt and sister to my family.

What do you like doing in your free time?

I am not a social butterfly. I enjoy outdoor activities, nature and reading. I love listening to the radio. I love rock gospel music.  I have a few close friends that keep me grounded. I love the social media too.  This is where I also engage in human rights activism.