Tag: Equality

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Patricia Lindelwa Makoni, from the University of South Africa’s (UNISA) Department of Finance, Risk Management and Banking. UNISA is Africa’s largest distance learning institution, with over 400,000 students, representing over 100 different countries. Every year more than 54,000 graduates receive qualifications from UNISA. Prof Makoni’s research interests include international finance, financial market development, corporate finance and development finance. She supervises doctoral students from diverse regions including Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States. Their research topics include infrastructure development, international finance and aid, micro small and medium enterprises, and more. Reflecting on her work, Prof Makoni shares her insights on the challenges of financial exclusion faced by women in rural environments. She emphasises that financial inclusion is not just about access to financial products, its also about understanding the entire value chain. This includes everything from business development and market entry strategies to effective pricing and distribution channels. She believes that empowering women with this holistic knowledge is key to sustainable economic development. Beyond her academic endeavours, Prof. Makoni talks about managing the balance between the various facets of her life. She highlights the importance of making our assets and capital work for us—extending beyond just financial capital to social capital (our networks and relationships) and human capital (our skills, knowledge, and desire to learn). When these elements are combined, they create a powerful force for personal and professional growth. Tune in for more….

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August 30, 2024

Prof Patricia Makoni – Department of Finance – University of South Africa – Financial Inclusion

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Patricia Lindelwa Makoni, from the University of South Africa’s (UNISA) Department of Finance, Risk Management and Banking. UNISA is Africa...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Miss South Africa 2024, Mia Le Roux. Mia is deaf, and she knows first-hand what if feels like to be excluded from opportunities, from the big, as well as seemingly insignificant things that many able-bodied people take for granted. Mia decided to participate in Miss SA because she did not want to feel excluded anymore and wanted to step up onto a platform for herself and others to feel included. In the winning, ‘pinch-me’, moment, when she was crowned with the Miss SA Mowana cornet, she said, that she knew it was for everyone that feels different. Part of Mia’s aspirations is to help the included make room for inclusivity. She explained some of the challenges that she experienced, such as lack of access to information, for example, watching TV for news or going to the cinema for entertainment – without captions on the screen – she has to work harder to consume this content. Growing up, after receiving a cochlear implant, Mia’s parents were concerned for her well-being and ability to cope and be independent in the world. Mia shares a few pivotal moments in her life, from the support of her family and community, to appreciating values from her mum which built her internal strength, to having ambition to live a bigger life. For example, when she moved to Cape Town, within one week she had a new car, new apartment and new job, which are testament to her determination, resilience and independence. Mia considers that for women to make more progress, as a collective we have to support each other and lift one another up. Helping others to shine doesn’t dim your light, it just makes the world brighter. She closes the conversation with the following inspiring words, “Your dream has to be stronger than your fear.” Tune in for more to hear this determined, resilient, dream-living, inspiring young woman that embodies the four pillars of Miss South Africa – duty, championship, empowerment, and beauty. #Empowerment #Resilience #Dream

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August 23, 2024

Miss South Africa 2024 – Mia Le Roux – Unstoppable Inclusion

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Miss South Africa 2024, Mia Le Roux. Mia is deaf, and she knows first-hand what if feels like to be excluded from opportunities, from the big, as we...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana from the Labour Appeal Court. Judge Nkutha-Nkontwana shares how family meetings, where the household were called to “The Table” to resolve challenges or mete out discipline introduced her to dispute resolution and gave a foundation to her career in labour law. Law and legislation have been, and are, powerful tools to advance women’s rights. We discuss some of the important equality gains that women have attained. For example, access to equal education. Judge Nkutha-Nkontwana narrates a personal experience of when she started studying law, her professor complained that there were too many women in his class which caused many of them to deregister from law and pursue alternative studies. The second element we discuss is having female role  models in your profession. They provide visibility of what is possible.  The third aspect is policy changes and instituting deliberate legislation to change gender imbalances in institutions. For example, we now see greater representation of women on boards and in executive positions, where they occupy decision making roles. It is important that we recognise gains can be lost, and in order to uphold women’s rights we need all stakeholders in the legal justice chain to play their part. Happy Women’s Day. Tune in for more….

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August 9, 2024

Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana – Labour Appeal Court – Justice Always

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana from the Labour Appeal Court. Judge Nkutha-Nkontwana shares how family me...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Jacqueline Henriques of the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court. Judge Henriques comes from a family of educators and initially wanted to follow in their footsteps but was dissuaded by her father. She registered for a BProc at university with the intention of switching over to degree in education, however soon found her passion for law.  For aspiring law students, she recommends focusing on your goals and acquiring as much practical experience as possible. She shares some of the qualities of being a judicial officer, such as impartiality, independence, integrity, ethics, empathy and more… Judge Henriques highlights some of recent amendments to domestic violence legislation, such as stricter bails imposed on persons charged with domestic violence offences and harsher now prescribed for offences related to gender-based violence. The Act has expanded its definition of what constitutes domestic violence, encompassing physical abuse, spiritual abuse, economic abuse, controlling behaviour, harassment, intimidation, elder abuse, and related person abuse to name a few. The Act now also requires the community to play an active role in stopping the scourge of domestic violence it is mandatory for the public to report incidences or reasonable suspicions of domestic violence, and also criminalises the failure of a person to report such abuse. We discuss how policy can be used to drive change to support women, however, remark that implementation and monitoring of implementation is actually what drives change.  Judge Henriques appeals to women to help each other, to support each other and advance each other, so that we all make a positive impact on the world. Tune in for more…

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August 2, 2024

Judge Jacqueline Henriques – KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court– Perseverance and Service

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Jacqueline Henriques of the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court. Judge Henriques comes from ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Latifa Firfiray, who is the heads up anaesthesiology clinical services at Tygerberg Hospital and lectures at Stellenbosch University. Dr Firfiray shares some of her motivations for pursuing her specialisation in anaesthesiology, which requires interacting with a multidisciplinary team. She highlights some of her experiences with sedating patients in theatre and helping manage patients with chronic pain through nerve blocks. One of Dr Firfiray’s areas of interest is the wellness of doctors, especially anaesthetists, who have been shown to experience a high rate of burnout, particularly in the public sector. It is almost ironic that doctors, whose role is to care about other people, sometimes neglect their own self-care. Some of the factors that contribute to burnout include system and personal stressors. The accumulative effects of these stressors, if they are not managed correctly, result in mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. Women tend to be susceptible because they often juggle multiple roles simultaneously. In the workplace some preventative measures include a leadership that is open to listening to people on the ground and creating a supportive environment where people can thrive and feel valued. Dr Firfiray encourages us to think in terms of a sisterhood, that we are not alone in our journeys and we should be able to lean on one another for support and lift each up for the betterment of all our lives. She reminds us that women can have it all, but we don’t necessarily have to do it all ourselves, some things can be outsourced to others. Tune in for more…

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July 19, 2024

Dr Latifa Firfiray – Head of Anaesthesiology – Tygerberg Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Latifa Firfiray, who heads up anaesthesiology clinical services at Tygerberg Hospital and lectures at Stellenbosch University. Dr Firfiray sha...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to KwaZulu Natal’s first female Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon, Dr. Pranusha Ramlakhan, who works in the public sector at the King Edward VIII Hospital/Victoria Mxenge Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. Women are underrepresented in the Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery specialisation. Dr. Ramlakhan shares her journey and emphasises that gender should not be a barrier to anyone’s dreams. Through hard work, faith, belief in her dreams and family support she achieved her goals. One of the rewarding aspects of her work is having an impact on people’s lives. She recounts a memorable case of removing a tumour from a young girl’s jaw, which had disfigured her appearance and caused her to be socially introverted. After the procedure, when the girl looked in a mirror and saw normal features on her face, she was overcome with emotion, and her sense of self-confidence was restored. In terms of her profession, Dr. Ramlakhan notes the value of mentorship and how this asset was lacking at the beginning of her career. She is actively mentoring upcoming maxillofacial surgeons, providing them with the right guidance and sharing her experiences for them to make informed choices. In closing, Dr. Ramlakhan encourages us to follow in Theodore Roosevelt’s words: “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there”. The journey to success is not always a straight path, but through self-belief, support from loved ones, and drawing on your faith, most challenges can be overcome and make you stronger. Tune in for more…

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July 12, 2024

Dr. Pranusha Ramlakhan – Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon: Self-belief, Support & Spirituality

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to KwaZulu Natal’s first female Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon, Dr. Pranusha Ramlakhan, who works in the public sector at the King Edward VIII Hospit...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Nika Vafaei, who is a Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon in private practice and previously served in the public sector. Dr Vafaei shares the differences between the types of conditions she treats in the private sector compared to her experience in the public sector, noting that cases in the public sector tended to be dominated by pathology (i.e tumours) and trauma as a result of assaults (such as broken jaws and broken noses), whereas wisdom tooth extraction and placing implants were more common in private practice. We discuss the low ratio of maxillofacial surgeons to the general population and the uneven distribution of these specialists, particularly in rural communities. Lack of access to specialists has significant implications on individuals’ wellbeing, often conditions become complicate to treat because patients have delayed seeking help.  Dr Vafaei describes a memorable case where she was able to restore mobility to a young girl’s jaws after 13 years of not being able to open her mouth properly. According to the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons only 8% of oral and maxillofacial surgeons are female; unfortunately this is a global trend. Dr Vafaei highlights some of the challenges of pursuing a specialisation, such as the intensity of working, studying and conducting research simultaneously. The demands during this phase can be difficult for women who have or plan to have children if they don’t have adequate support structures to help them. Dr Vafaei emphasises the benefits of having role models and mentors to provide a lived experience that shows how they attain professional goals and positive behaviours to emulate. In closing, Dr Vafaei encourages us to understand our purpose and what motivates us to do the things we want them to; and to combine these drivers into our vocations to lead fulfilling lives.   Tune in for more…

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June 22, 2024

Dr. Nika Vafaei – Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon: Patience, Purpose and People

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Nika Vafaei, who is a Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon in private practice and previously served in the public sector. Dr Vafaei shares the differ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Bethany Foster, who is a Professor of Paediatrics, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at McGill University and Paediatrician-in-Chief at the McGill University Health Centre. She also serves as acting Division Director of Paediatric Nephrology. Additionally, she is Chair of The Transplantation Society’s Women in Transplantation Initiative. She shares some of the factors that contributed to choosing paediatrics and nephrology, such as how kidney disease affects the person as a whole. Her research interests extend to studying immunosuppressive medication adherence, graft outcomes in adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients, who tend to be at particularly high risk of graft loss. Additionally, her research addresses recipient and donor sex difference in graft outcomes. She shares that male tissues have a specific protein that is not present on female tissues, which may trigger an immune response against the graft. Prof. Foster is chair of The Transplantation Society’s Women in Transplantation Initiative (WIT), which aims “to advance and inspire women transplant professionals and champion issues of sex and gender in transplantation”. She notes that men still outcome women in transplant medicine and views WIT as an initiative to encourage more women to pursue the field. We discuss the value of mentorship and sponsorship to support women, and emphasis that women need to step up and put themselves forward for leadership roles, thus becoming role models for the women coming up behind them. In closing Prof. Foster encourages women to believe themselves, be open to constructive feedback, and continue to improve.  In your career, as you develop into a self-assured individual, people should accept you as you are, and if you demand it and give them no choice they might just follow your lead. Tune in for more

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June 13, 2024

Professor Bethany Foster – Paediatrician-in-Chief at the McGill University – Reflect Intent

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Bethany Foster, who is a Professor of Paediatrics, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at McGill University and Paediatrician-in-Chief at the...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to award winning South African actress Shannon Esra. Her first professional acting role was playing Siri in the feature film I Dreamed of Africa, with Kim Basinger, which cemented her desire to pursue acting professionally. Some of her television work has included Lioness, Isidingo, The Queen and Hard Copy.  Theatre wise she has just wrapped up performing a one-woman play, My Left Breast, written by Obie Award winner Susan Miller. Storytelling, identity, human understanding and connecting with people are some of the interests that Shannon channels into her passion for acting. She views the characters she plays, as one would see their children, there are no favourites! Inhabiting these different identities offer channels for self-discovery. We discuss Shannon’s most recent portrayal in My Left Breast, a solo performance, where she engages the audience exploring a range of emotional realms experienced by Susan Miller as a woman, mother, partner and professional during her journey with breast cancer. Shannon shares some advice for aspiring actors, imploring them to introspect about their motivations for the profession and evaluate their talent. She highlights some hard truths, such as the fact that in acting you tend to have more down time than work time and that sometimes self-doubt can creep in. She raises the fact that some people define themselves by the work we do, and when we don’t work, we tend to lose our sense of self. Women, in particular nurturers, tend to focus on others at the expense of neglecting themselves. Shannon reminds us to think about our own identities and our own personal values, because the way that we value ourselves tells other people how valuable we are.  

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May 17, 2024

Award Winning South African Actress Shannon Esra – Building Value

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to award winning South African actress Shannon Esra. Her first professional acting role was playing Siri in the feature film I Dreamed of Africa, with K...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Ambassador of Mexico Sara Valdés Bolaño. She is accredited to twelve countries in Southern Africa. Prior to this appointment she was Ambassador to Vietnam. Some of her previous roles include director general for Africa and the Middle East at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, director of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Paris, DCM at the Embassy to Ireland and political counsellor at the Mexican Mission to the European Union. We discuss trade exchanges between Mexico and South Africa, noting the establishment of integrated global value and supply chains between the two countries that create opportunities for international trade in the global south. Ambassador Valdés introduces us to the MIKTA alliance between Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia. One of the initiatives of this grouping of countries is to build capacity to empower women economically. We discuss micro-financing as an important solution, noting that fintech and new technologies have enabled new ways of doing business as well as financing. In 2020 Mexico adopted a feminist foreign policy, which amongst other elements strongly advocates for gender equality. Mexico has been a forerunner in the feminism movement, with notable efforts in the 1970s. Ambassador Valdés remarks that gender based violence is a major challenge to women world-wide and impedes their human rights. She draws our attention to two Mexican women that have made significant contributions in addressing GBV. Anthropologist Dr Marcela Lagarde who identified the concept of femicide in Latin America; and activist Olimpia Coral Melo, who succeeded to have legislation passed to punish people that perpetuate digital violence and abuse. In closing, Ambassador Valdés reminds us that human rights are not a pie, it is not a case that if somebody gets a larger piece of the pie that they are taking it away from someone else. Human rights benefit all humankind. Tune in for more.

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May 10, 2024

Ambassador of Mexico – Sara Valdés Bolaño discussing international relations, gender equality, women empowerment…

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Ambassador of Mexico Sara Valdés Bolaño. She is accredited to twelve countries in Southern Africa. Prior to this appointment she was Ambassado...

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