Florence Chibwesha

Florence Chibwesha is a distinguished legal practitioner and executive leader with over two decades of high-level experience at the intersection of law, human rights, and public sector management.

Her career is anchored by a significant nine-year tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the Human Rights Commission of Zambia (2013-2022). In this executive role, Ms. Chibwesha directed the complete operational and strategic oversight for the execution of the Commission’s constitutional mandate to promote and protect human rights for all persons in Zambia. This involved holding the State accountable to international, regional, and national human rights standards. In addition to her CEO duties, she also served as Board Secretary to the Commission, guiding its corporate governance. This position demanded exceptional skills in public financial management, international human rights law, and regulatory compliance.

Prior to leading the Commission, Florence served as the Senior Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs, attached to the office of the Commissioner for Refugees. She was responsible for the quasi-judicial process of granting refugee status and provided critical legal counsel to Zambia’s Minister of Home Affairs on matters of international protection. Her work involved the complex interpretation and application of international, regional, and national instruments pertaining to human rights, humanitarian law, and refugee law.

Florence’s leadership experience extends deep into the non-governmental sector. She has served as Chief Executive Officer for Room to Read, where she managed the development and implementation of all programmatic activities, and as Executive Director for the Women Finance Co-operative, where she provided strategic vision and leadership for six years, focusing on resource mobilisation and advocacy for the rights of women and children. She also served as a Sub-Grants and Capacity Building Technical Advisor for a USAID/World Vision project, providing technical assistance to organisations focused on education, health, and economic empowerment.

Her legal career began at the Ministry of Justice within the Attorney General’s Chambers, where she assisted in drafting court documents and legal opinions.

Florence is a qualified Legal Practitioner, having earned her Practicing Certificate from the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE). She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Law, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, all from the University of Zambia.