Mrs Makonese is a human rights lawyer with international experience having worked in and implemented human rights, democracy and governance and rule of law programmes in a number of countries with a focus on the SADC region.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree, a Master’s Degree in Women’s Law and is currently undergoing the examination process for a PhD in Women’s Law (focusing on land rights and international human rights law). She has worked in Government, Civil Society and in the private sector as a practising lawyer. She has implemented programmes and held positions of responsibility and leadership on initiatives focusing on human rights, the rule of law, democracy and governance, law reform and the development of the legal profession including as a member of the International Institute of Law Association Chief Executives (IILACE) and the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Lawyers’ Association. Her most recent publications (2015 and 2016) focus on Women’s Rights under the New Zimbabwean Constitution, Customary Law and the Enjoyment of Women’s Rights in Southern Africa (with a focus on Lesotho, South Africa and Botswana) and The Role of the Legal Profession in Promoting Free and Fair Elections.