Tag: Empowerment

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, who is a member of parliament representing the African National Congress (ANC) and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education. This committee conducts oversight and monitors the work that the executive is doing. We highlight some of the core focus areas of the Department of Basic Education in 2022/2023, notably the shift of early childhood development from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education, the Department’s Programme 5 – to end school related gender based violence (GBV), and building strategic relationships in the international arena. We consider some of the factors that contribute to building female leadership capacity through economic and education mechanisms. The more educated women become the more the country benefits - socially, economically and otherwise. Ms Mbinqo-Gigaba reminds us that “It doesn’t matter how you come, just make sure you arrive”. Tune in for more…

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September 28, 2022

ANC Parliamentarian & Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Basic Education – Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, who is a member of parliament representing the African National Congress (ANC) and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Jyoti Bajpai, a Professor of Medical Oncology at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai India and Dr Nermean Mostafa a lecturer of clinical oncology and early detection at the Ain Shams University in Cairo Egypt. They share some of their motivations for pursuing oncology as a specialisation and give an overview of the field in their countries. For example, Egypt has an intensive screening campaign for early detection of cancer and is improving palliative care. India has a population of more than 1.4 billion people and has wide variations in the type of care and infrastructure available to citizens, however there is a marked deficit of oncologists to cancer patients, currently the ratio stands at 1:2000, whereas in the USA it is 1:100. We note some of the challenges female oncologists experience, which often stem from social stereotypes and patriarchal cultures that limit people’s perceptions of women reducing them to mothers and care givers, not seeing them as professionals who excel in their chosen fields. Our discussion centres on the recent Global Women for Oncology Summit (GLOWS) which received delegates from every continent. GLOWS addressed pressing issues faced by women in their careers, such as how to navigate politics in the workplace, how to break the glass ceiling, the importance of #networking and the value of #mentorship and #sponsorship. We discuss distance mentorship, as a concept implemented through digital platforms to provide mentorship between women in different regions. Some of the benefits of this mode of mentorship for women include saving on travel expenses like accommodation or visas, the ability to remain at home and maintain family responsibilities, and connecting to the right mentor irrespective of geographic location. Tune in for more…

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September 21, 2022

Oncology Specialists Prof. Jyoti Bajpai (India) & Dr Nermean Mostafa (Egypt)

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Jyoti Bajpai, a Professor of Medical Oncology at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai India and Dr Nermean Mostafa a lecturer of clinical oncology ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia - Mutale Nalumango, who is also Vice President of Zambia’s ruling party the United Party for National Development (UPND). Vice President Nalumango shares how her life path has been navigated by the drive to fight all forms of injustice, like social inequity, poverty alleviation, access to justice and empowering women to occupy their rightful spaces. She shares some of her visions for Zambia where unity and peace serve as foundational elements to development and productivity. She also reaffirms that education is the greatest equalizer and reminds those that think education is too expensive to try the cost of ignorance. We discuss women in leadership and mechanisms to better capacitate women, such as mentorship, effective networking, higher education, encouraging women to rise and also aligning men to the gender agenda – to acknowledge that they are beneficiaries of women’s economic participation. Although efforts are underway to progress the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality progress is slow in some areas of the continent. Some of the impediments to women’s progress include inhibiting cultures, religious expectations, social stereotypes and bearing the burden of unpaid domestic work. In the words of Vice President Nalumango, “Women are born as volunteers.” Women need to unite and collectively fight against injustices that discriminate against them. Women cannot let their life choices depend on other people; they have the capability to achieve their ambitions. In closing, Vice President Nalumango says, “Girls, rise up wherever you are, the sky is the limit, you can make it anywhere, everything is open to us in Africa”. Tune in for more…

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August 31, 2022

Vice President of Zambia – Mutale Nalumango striving for social justice, unity and equality

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia - Mutale Nalumango, who is also Vice President of Zambia’s ruling party the  United Party for Na...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Director General of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) - Advocate Mikateko Joyce Maluleke. The theme of this year’s youth month is “Promoting sustainable livelihoods and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”. Almost two-thirds of the South African population are under the age of 35. Advocate Maluleke shares some of the programmes that the department has initiated to help address the challenges confronted by youth. For example, the Nelson Mandela Youth dialogues on ethical leadership promoting peace, reconciliation and democracy; fostering stronger relationships between countries in Africa to embrace the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to improve intra-continental trade and socio-economic outcomes; work with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and initiating a programme to help unemployed graduates find gainful employment in their field of study. In terms of specific initiatives for women, the Director General discusses the goals of the Women Economic Assembly (WECONA), which is a partnership between the private sector, civil society and women’s organisations, businesswomen and government that aims to facilitate the participation of women-owned businesses in core areas of the economy. In keeping with the economic empowerment of women, the DWYPD is planning to establish the biggest market expo in the world on 9 August 2022, which will bring together 90,000 women to connect, collaborate and contract to win. Tune in for more….

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June 22, 2022

Advocate Mikateko Joyce Maluleke – Director General of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Director General of the Department of Wo...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in law, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Caroline Ncube who heads up the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town. She holds the South African Research Chair in Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development. She serves as a member of the African Policy, Research & Advisory Group on STI, is a member of the Advisory Board of the African Network of International Economic Law (AfIELN) and of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). We discuss how these roles contribute to the discipline of law in both academia and practice; and note some of the accomplishments of women in the field of law. Some of Prof. Ncube’s collaborations with Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt form part of the Open African Innovation Research Partnerships. One of her recent projects addresses patents and access to medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss the liberating effects of education on women. Prof. Ncube reflects on the influence of gender in personal and professional life, where the perception of traditional gender roles can inhibit some women from advancing in their careers until their children are less dependent on them. Establishing childcare facilities at institutions, formulating robust support networks and reconsidering gender roles are a few interventions that could help women navigate various stages of their personal and professional lives. In closing Prof. Ncube reminds us that the hopes of the continent are pinned on women and youth; so if you are young and female the moment is yours, the continent is wide open reach out and take it. Tune in for more…

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June 8, 2022

Prof. Caroline Ncube – Head Commercial Law Department – University of Cape Town

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in law, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Caroline Ncube who  heads up the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town. She holds t...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, as part of our commemoration for #AfricaDay, which is celebrated on 25 May, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Heide Hackmann, the Interim Director and Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the Future Africa Institute | University of Pretoria. Prior to this role Dr Hackmann served as CEO of the International Science Council. Future Africa is a research institute and pan-African platform that makes possible fundamentally new approaches to research and innovation that span disciplinary fields and geo-political boundaries to solve continental and global problems by collaborating between stakeholders in science and society. Some of these challenges include climate change, food security, poverty, human rights, gender equality, health and well-being, and biodiversity loss. Diversity and inclusivity are core values of Future Africa which help drive gender equality and equal participation of women across spheres. Dr Hackman shares some insight into her leadership style, which include being inspirational (thinking BIG), being an effective enabler and decision maker, being authentic, connecting to people on a human level, and leading by example. Tune in for more….

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May 25, 2022

Dr. Heide Hackmann Interim Director at the Future Africa Institute

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, as part of our commemoration for #AfricaDay, which is celebrated on 25 May, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Heide Hackmann, the Interim Director and Advisor on Transdisciplina...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Professor Laetitia Rispel who holds a South African Research Chair, entitled Research on the Health Workforce for Equity and Quality. She is a Professor of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.  She is both a former Head of the Wits School of Public Health (2012-2017), and a former Head of the Gauteng Provincial Government Department of Health (2001-2006). She is also a past president of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (2018-2020). Prof Rispel shares some of the challenges and achievements along her journey to improve public health systems and shape health policy in post-apartheid South Africa. For example, being inspired to go to university but lacking the means to do so, yet serendipitously, at a rubbish dump of all places, seeing a pamphlet to study nursing at university – all expenses paid.   Tune in for more…

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May 11, 2022

Professor Laetitia Rispel – Public Health Systems: University of the Witwatersrand, and South African Research Chair for the Health Workforce

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Professor Laetitia Rispel who holds a South African Research Chair, entitled Research on the Health Workforce f...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Prof. Makunyane is one of the first black female doctors to qualify as an ophthalmologist in South Africa, she serves as a role model and advocate for her specialisation encouraging more women to follow in her footsteps.  We reflect on the fact that medical training is a lengthy undertaking and the process can compromise women who want to start a family or have young children during this period. To help mitigate some of these issues training time could be extended as well as introducing flexible leave arrangements to help women fulfil their roles in the worlds of family and work.  Medicine is a rewarding and humbling discipline that impacts the well-being of societies. Tune in for more…

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May 4, 2022

Professor Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academi...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Radmila Razlog who heads up the department of Complementary Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Johannesburg.  Complementary medicine professions in South Africa consist of a diverse range of disciplines including phytotherapy, homeopathy, and acupuncture and offer a natural approach to health and wellbeing to manage conditions. Dr. Razlog notes there is a higher propensity for women to enter disciplines of complementary health as well as more women tending to seek treatment from allied health practitioners. Tune in for more.

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April 27, 2022

Dr. Radmila Razlog – Head of Complementary Medicine at the University of Johannesburg

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Radmila Razlog who heads up the department of Complementary Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at t...

and the United Nations, Ms Dorothy Tembo. She shares pivotal moments in her career and life, that have charted her path from Zambia to Switzerland. We discuss some of the core goals of the ITC, which works towards creating ‘trade impact for good’, and highlight some of the ITC’s initiatives in relation to women in Africa. For example the SheTrades initiative has connected three million women to market, and continues to expand its hubs into different countries.  We remark on evolving culture and tradition to progress gender equality and women’s empowerment. Tune in for more.

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March 23, 2022

Deputy Executive Director of the International Trade Centre – Dorothy Tembo

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Deputy Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), which is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nat...

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