Tag: women in law

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Minister of Justice from the Republic of Namibia, Yvonne Dausab. Prior to this appointment she served as the Chairperson of the Law Reform and Development Commission, and previously occupied the role of  Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Namibia. Minister Dausab shares some of the factors that contributed to her pursuit of a career in law, including historical context, particularly living through Apartheid as a tool of oppression that used laws to implement its systems, experiencing the trauma of a family member being murdered and residing in an environment threatened by criminal activity. Under Minister Dausab’s leadership the Ministry of Justice drives a significant legislature agenda, both informed by other ministries and its own activities, additionally it aims to fulfil to key strategic objectives namely the provision of legal services and access to justice. In terms of access to justice, initiatives include improving access to legal aid for people who need representation, developing the small claims court system and establishing  community. Some of Minister Dausab’s leadership strategies encompass supporting other women, focussing on key areas of your mandate and avoiding distractions, building relationships across party and gender lines to understand different points of view, reading widely, participating in activities that bring out your strengths and showing up. Namibia has made significant strides in promoting gender equality and women's rights. For example, both Namibia’s prime minister and deputy prime minister are women. A few of the reasons for Namibia strength in the gender equality stakes follow. Firstly, the ruling party took a decision to have a policy entrenched in their constitution that said there must be 50/50 representation in any activity that the SWAPO party undertakes. Secondly, Namibia actively participates in international and regional levels in promoting gender equality. Thirdly, Namibia has very good policies and recently reviewed its national gender policy to assess how has the country has progressed and is presently developing a new gender policy for the next ten years. Tune in for more...

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September 20, 2023

The Minister of Justice from the Republic of Namibia – Yvonne Dausab

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Minister of Justice from the Republic of Namibia, Yvonne Dausab. Prior to this appointment she served as the Chairperson of the Law Reform and ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Soma Naidoo from the Free State Division of the High Court, who shares part of her journey to the bench. In early childhood Judge Naidoo came face-to-face with injustices of apartheid and was aware that the “law” was the instrument of discrimination, these experiences motivated her to change the “law”. Her path was not easy, but she stayed the course pursuing excellence in all her endeavours and proving her worth. Judge Naidoo shares some of the impactful cases she has worked on from criminal, to political, to industrial and domestic matters. Arriving at a judgement and suitable sentence is no easy task, and sometimes judges are faced with the worst aspects of humanity, but justice must still be metered out impartially. She mentions some of the strategies she uses to debrief and look out for her well-being as well as colleagues. Judge Naidoo offers several pieces of advice to aspirant lawyers and judges, which include networking, pursuing their academic studies and seeking mentorship to guide and support them throughout their careers. She also mentions a poem, called the “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, which is an inspirational prose that offers sound philosophies for living a good life, regardless of age.   Tune in for more…

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September 6, 2023

Judge Soma Naidoo from the Free State Division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Soma Naidoo from the Free State Division of the High Court, who shares part of her journey to the bench. In early childhood Judge Naidoo came...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Raylene Keightley, a permanent judge of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, who is currently serving as Acting Judge for the Supreme Court of Appeal. Judge Keightley has an accomplished academic career and her transition into practice was prompted by an opportunity from the National Prosecuting Authority’s role in a new act for the prevention of organised crime and establishing the asset forfeiture unit which deals with the seizure of criminal assets. Judge Keightley shares some of the types of legal suits she deals with, such as emotive cases with family law and the urgency of burial matters; and in her job as a judge to do her best within the ambit of the law without fear or favour and to show compassion and dignity towards litigants. The South African judiciary has transformed over the years to represent race and gender demographics of the country. One of the mechanisms for advancing the development of women judges is the South African Chapter of The International Association of Women’s Judges. The sisterhood among members, enables judges and magistrates to learn about each other and get to know one another and continue to develop.   Justice Keightley reminds women that they are strong in their core, they must believe in themselves and to know what their substance is and pursue it. Tune in for more…

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August 30, 2023

Judge Raylene Keightley from the Gauteng Division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Raylene Keightley, a permanent judge of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, who is currently serving as Acting Judge for the Supreme Cour...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Justice Leona Theron, who is a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The Constitutional Court is described as the highest court in South Africa, it was born of the country's first democratic Constitution in 1994 and 11 judges stand guard over the Constitution charged with protecting everyone's human rights, more than 60 million lives. Over time the Court’s mandate has enlarged. The judiciary should reflect the diversity of the people that it serves. In 1994 there were only two women judges in South Africa. Justice Theron was a founding member of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women’s Judges. The International Association of Women’s Judges aims to increase the number of women judges and promoting equal justice for women and girls throughout the world. The South African Chapter provides a platform for training women judges, to share experiences, to exchange knowledge and to collaborate with each other  and to support one another. Justice Theron’s jurisprudence spans a broad range of issues. She has a track record of advancing women’s rights. For example, in the case of Gumede (born Shange) v President of the Republic of South Africa, she wrote a seminal judgment which ruled that women in customary marriages were, in effect, married in community of property and so accrued similar rights and benefits. Justice Theron holds BA and LLB degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an LLM from Georgetown University in the United States, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. She was appointed to the bench in 1999, becoming the first black woman judge at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court. At the age of 32, she was the youngest judge to have been appointed in South Africa at the time. Reflecting on her journey, Justice Theron shares how she was able to rise above the circumstances of the Wentworth environment that she grew up in, including violence, crime, drug abuse, women abuse and teenage pregnancy. Her parents had a plan and a vision for her, at the age of five her father decided that she would attend university, and implemented his plan for his daughter. Justice Theron reminds us, through her own story, that ordinary people are capable of achieving extraordinary things. Tune in for an inspiring conversation…

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August 23, 2023

Justice Leona Theron – Constitutional Court of South Africa

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Justice Leona Theron, who is a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The Constitutional Court is described as the highest court i...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Sharon Chesiwe from the Free State division of the High Court. When Judge Chesiwe graduated from high school her career options, as a black woman in South Africa, were limited; primarily to teaching and nursing. For more than a decade Judge Chesiwe followed a nursing track and eventually transitioned into law. She explained her decision to shift careers was partly motivated by incidents of injustice she had observed whilst she was a nurse, for example, pay disparity between people of different races. She realised that the only way to fight these injustices was through the law. Judge Chesiwe is passionate about family law and ensuring that people who come before her are treated with humility and respect. South African women have had a very real struggle in the journey to equality to move past the point where they were regarded as minors under the custodianship of their father or husband. Women need to keep pushing forwards and owning their constitutional rights. Women need to be involved in the drafting of policies that impact them, e.g. sexual harassment policies in the workplace. Judge Chesiwe reminds women to appreciate their strength and have the confidence to know that they can do anything. Tune in for more…

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August 16, 2023

Judge Sharon Chesiwe – Free State division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Sharon Chesiwe from the Free State division of the High Court. When Judge Chesiwe graduated from high school her career options, as a black w...

The start of a new year symbolises new beginnings. Motivation can be a powerful catalyst to pursue your goals and seek changes that perhaps challenge society’s expectations. Today’s collection of vignettes are about pursuing passions and being instigators of change. We hear from Professor Caroline Ncube who heads up the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town, Dr Heide Hackman Director of Future Africa and Strategic Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the University of Pretoria and Judge Carol Sibya from the KwaZulu Natal division of the High Court. Professor Caroline Ncube demonstrates how education has impacted on her own family,  where each generation did better than the previous one and the reason for that frequently hinged on the education  that they had acquired. She discusses building support systems and recognizing that as we go through life we pass certain stages and that you need to accept the stage at where you are and then just operate within the realm of what is possible within that stage and as you progress to other stages. Lastly, she reminds young women to seize the moment, the continent is wide open, reach out, take it. Our next guest is Dr Heide Hackman, who is the Director and Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the Future Africa Institute at the University of Pretoria. Dr Hackman shares some insight into her leadership style, which includes being inspirational (thinking BIG), being an effective enabler and decision maker, being authentic, connecting to people on a human level, and leading by example - don’t be afraid to roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty, it’s team work. Our final guest is High Court Judge Carol Sibiya, who hails from the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court. We start the discussion with an emphasis on law as an instrument to bring change, particularly in terms of gender equality gains. We remark on the progress of women’s rights in South Africa and the positive effects that representation of women in different spaces has on people’s psyche, to understand the breadth of possibilities available to them. In closing, she states the one thing she would like to instill in every person is never accept a different voice telling you what you cannot do.  Believe in yourself and do your best whatever the circumstances and when you fail (which will invariably happen) pick yourself up. Sometimes it might mean going back to the drawing board, sometimes it might just mean going at it again.  But never accept failure as the final answer.  We hope that this selection of journeys inspires you to pursue and own your unique space. Best wishes for 2023.

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January 5, 2023

2023 New Year: Women in Leadership: Reach for the Stars

The start of a new year symbolises new beginnings. Motivation can be a powerful catalyst to pursue your goals and seek changes that perhaps challenge society’s expectations. Today’s collection of vignettes are about...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Professor Nicola Smit, Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Stellenbosch. We discuss aspects of her vision for the faculty that include spearheading legal education, building capacity and having a deep social impact on communities. We acknowledge the fact that today’s graduates will likely work in new careers that don’t yet exist. Prof. Smit shares one of her approaches to leadership, which she describes as “leadership constellation”. This view posits that a leader can only be first among equals and provides opportunities for his or her people (stars) to develop themselves and lead in their own areas of expertise, ultimately stiving to develop an organisation that mirrors a constellation of stars (people) that shine brightly leading their respective disciplines and helping each other navigate calm as well as tricky waters. She also reflects on the importance of diverse inputs in teams to bring out the best of team members. We remark on the low representation of women in leadership, noting that the glass ceiling might have shifted but it hasn’t disappeared. Efforts need to be undertaken to ensure that where decisions are made there is representation of women. Furthermore, regulatory frameworks should be in place to help share the burden of domestic work that often compromises a woman’s ability to participate fully in the labour force. For example, increasing paternity leave is an intervention that would help distribute parental loads. Prof Smit, closes the conversation with a quote from Maya Angelou, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”  Tune in for more…

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September 7, 2022

Prof. Nicola Smit – Dean of Law: University of Stellenbosch

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Professor Nicola Smit, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Stellenbosch. We discuss aspects of her vision for the faculty that inclu...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity for our series on women in the judiciary Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Harshila Kooverjie – from the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria. Prior to her appointment to the bar Judge Kooverjie served on several public sector boards, like the Council for Medical Schemes, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Financial Services Board Tribunal as well as the Legal Practice Council – which regulates the legal profession. These positions provide checks and balances to ensure that government does its work properly and citizens don’t abuse their powers. Judge Kooverjie reflects on some of the impactful cases that she has presided over. We discuss the need for victims of gender based violence to have better support structures and processes to help them systematically navigate these traumatic situations. We consider education as a tool to advance gender equality gains, it empowers people to be competitive and at the top of their game. Judge Kooverjie notes that people need to understand the real value of women to society. For too long women have been absorbing more and more responsibilities in order to participate in the workforce without reducing their commitments to the household. Work institutions could help alleviate the pressure by providing on-site childcare facilities. Real change will only come from walking the walk, not talking the talk. Tune in for more…

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August 24, 2022

Judge Harshila Kooverjie – from the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity for our series on women in the judiciary Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Harshila Kooverjie – from the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria. Prior to her appointm...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Lindiwe Rusi from the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha. Judge Rusi’s disciplined upbringing compelled her to strive for order and equity, which formed foundational values for a vocation in law. During the early part of her career she was involved with several outreach programmes delivering much needed legal knowledge to underserved communities, particularly in areas of customary and family law, domestic violence and access to justice. Reflecting on recent amendments to Acts affecting women, Judge Rusi mentions changes to The Criminal Law Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act Amendment Bill. For example, amendments to the main statutes governing court processes in superior and lower courts makes provision for additional procedures in respect of how witnesses, especially victims of gender based violence, give evidence in court, such as using audio visual facilities, to help reduce secondary victimisation of those victims, because in the process of giving evidence they are forced to relive the experiences. The Domestic Violence Amendment Act sees new definitions of what constitutes domestic violence and places obligations on functionaries of government departments, like the way police render service to victims of domestic violence. To further advance gender equality Judge Rusi considers there are opportunities for government to implement policies aimed at ensuring gender parity and guard the right to equality. Additionally, society needs to stop typecasting women into traditional gender roles. Women should not allow anything or anyone to undervalue their self-worth and derail their dreams. Tune in for more…

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August 17, 2022

Judge Lindiwe Rusi – Eastern Cape Division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Lindiwe Rusi from the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha. Judge Rusi’s discipline...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Marisa Naude-Odendaal – from the Limpopo Division of the High Court, Polokwane. Judge Naude-Odendaal has had a strong sense of social justice from a young age which paved the way for a career in law. She gives us insight into real life experiences as a mother and professional, sharing how she used to drive 300km to and from work every day with her infant son, keep him under the “bench” and attend to him between sessions. She demonstrates that through self-determination, support structures and effective time management – everything is doable. We note that the legal system is constantly changing in response to the ever transforming environment. Judge Naude-Odendaal shares two recent precedent setting cases, from 2022, which have a significant impact on women. One case relates to maintenance orders, which now only prescribe 30 years after the order is issued, previously it was 3 years, which will allow claims for arrear maintenance. The second is recognition of Muslim marriages and the Marriage Act, lack of recognition means lack of protection of the rights of women and their children in the event of dissolution of these types of marriages. Judge Marisa Naude-Odendaal reminds us that women wear many hats, sometimes simultaneously, despite the pressures we face we should not allow anything to stop us from fulfilling our dreams. She says, “I think one must be fearless, set a goal and strive for it”. Tune in for more…

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August 10, 2022

Judge Marisa Naude-Odendaal – Limpopo Division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Marisa Naude-Odendaal – from the Limpopo Division of the High Court, Polokwane.  Judge Naude...

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