Tag: Women

Communication is dynamic and multifaceted, influencing everything from activism to personal branding. Prof Benecke shares some of her views on how the concepts of network theory and community influencers intersect in practice, emphasising the interdependency between individuals and their networks to enable issues to be addressed. We consider personal branding for women through a communication lens, which Prof. Benecke distils into three elements; we need to find our own voice, we need to develop our confidence and we need to believe that we are good enough. In building ourselves we establish a space in the world that we can contribute to meaningfully. Prof. Benecke's work also explores the tragic reality of gender-based violence (GBV), described by President Ramaphosa as South Africa’s second pandemic. There are several theoretical arguments about why GBV occurs and possible methods to solve it. In practical terms, victims of GBV or of potential assault need to know who they can contact to help them. Reflecting on the murder of Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, sometimes the struggles that a person deals with are hidden from view, and we should all be more sensitive to the plight of other women and intervening where possible to help. Today’s show is dedicated to the memory of Rebecca Cheptegei, may her soul rest in peace. Tune in for more….

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September 5, 2024

Prof Dalien Rene Benecke – Strategic Communication Department – University of Johannesburg – Power of Communication

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Rene Benecke from the Strategic Communication Department at the University of Johannesburg. Communication is dynamic and multifaceted, influ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Katharine Savage of the Western Cape High Court, Judge of the Labour Appeal Court and Acting Deputy Judge President of the Labour Courts and the Labour Appeal Court. Judge Savage’s family motivated her to pursue a career in law, in part, to be able to change society. For example, she went ton to participate in the negotiations and writing of the final draft of the South African Constitution. Legislation has a powerful impact on driving reform and changing national ecosystems, whether it be social, economic or political constructs. Judge Savage participates in several societies organisations in the legal field, such as the  Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII) 2004 and South African Society for Labour Law. She has also been elected by the United Nations General Assembly to serve as a Judge of the United Nations Appeal Tribunal. Judge Savage shares some of the responsibilities of being a judge, emphasising the importance of being independently minded, being brave in your judgements, standing by your views and at times shifting your perspectives. One of the secrets to Judge Savage’s ability to manage multiple roles is structuring her life to enable her to participate in different forums. Furthermore, she approaches her work with an efficiency mindset and has learnt not be a perfectionist. Judge Savage emphasises the importance of human values, knowing who we are as individuals, appreciating people from different backgrounds and encouraging people to get to their best selves. We all have our own journey and challenges, which we should consider as opportunities for growth. Tune in for more…

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July 26, 2024

Judge Katharine Savage – Western Cape Division of the High Court & Labour Appeal Court – Human Values

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Katharine Savage of the Western Cape High Court, Judge of the Labour Appeal Court and Acting Deputy ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Nicky Falkof, who is a cultural studies scholar based in the Media Studies department at the University of the Witwatersrand. Media is ubiquitous and takes multiple forms, that impact how individuals perceive themselves and others, construct their identities, and navigate their social worlds. Prof Falkof shares some insights into the themes of her academic qualifications; studying a Masters in critical theory with a dissertation on race and masculinity in 1980s action films and then studying an interdisciplinary PhD at the London consortium, which was a collaboration between the Tate Modern, The Science Museum and the Architectural Association.  Her current work explores the ways in which persistent negative emotions, like anxiety and fear intersect with race, particularly in urban areas and how these emotions structure social life. Part of her driving impulse is the desire to take emotional life seriously, because there is a trend where society tends to dismiss the way that we feel, but feelings are fundamentally the things that make us act the way that we do. She unpacks the collective emotions that define communities and influence behaviors, drawing on learnings from cities like Mexico City, where positive patriotism fosters a sense of unity and hope amidst adversity. We discuss aspects of the Me-Too Movement, emphasising there isn’t a universal expression of feminism and that countries in the Global South have had long standing feminists that have been empowering women in ways that are relevant to their social constructs. Implanting an ideology from one hemisphere of the world into another, is not necessarily a solution if it doesn’t take cultural differences and contexts into consideration. We also reflect on organisational systems as impediments to wide scale change and maintaining the status quo. Corporate, political and social systems that were designed by men tend to be operated by people that think like the system’s architects. This is one of the reasons why gender discrimination is still pervasive, even if some organisations have women at their helm. In closing the conversation Prof. Falkof emphasises that change doesn’t materialise unless we make it happen. Tune in for more.

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April 12, 2024

Prof Nicky Falkof – Media Studies Wits University: Emotion Directs Behaviour and Constructs Society

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Nicky Falkof, who is a cultural studies scholar based in the Media Studies department at the University of the Witwatersrand. Media is ubiqu...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Marí Thiart who is a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon based at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. She is President of the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance (IODA) and founder of the South African Female Orthopaedic Surgeons' Society (SAFOSS) In South Africa only 5% of orthopaedic surgeons are female; unfortunately this is a global trend. One of Dr Thiart’s objectives is to promote diversity and inclusivity in the field.  These ideals are advocated by IODA and SAFOSS. Industry partners are also helping to evolve the discipline by making tools and instruments more women friendly to accommodate their physiology. Dr Thiart shares some of her passion for pursuing orthopaedics as a specialisation, noting that in this discipline she aims to treat and cure patients rather than manage a condition. She has a special interest in treating children, addressing conditions like bone and joint infections, cerebral palsy and limb reconstruction. She describes how rewarding it is to see children transition into better versions of themselves after treatment. Dr Thiart closes the discussion with a few words of wisdom that encourages women to believe in their natural talents and develop them and to look for allies to help open doors to opportunities to help you reach your goals. Tune in for more…

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April 5, 2024

Dr Marí Thiart – Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon – Stellenbosch University: Diversity and Inclusion

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Marí Thiart who is a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon based at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. She is P...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Keitumetse "Tumi" Mashego who is a clinical and sports psychologist in private practice. Dr. Mashego offers some strategies to help people fulfil their goals, partly through managing expectations and showing ourselves grace.  She shares a useful breathing technique to bring one back into the present and be more mindful, which overcomes autopilot mode. Striking a balance between home and work commitments can be a challenge, especially for women living in a patriarchal society. Under these circumstances Dr. Mashego encourages women to value the capabilities that they bring to the table, to be self-aware and not fall prey to internalised inferiority complexes. She reminds us that perfection is an illusion and that we are constantly a work in progress. To this end we should treat mental health with the same attention that we give our physical wellbeing, look after the mind, nurture it and give it a rest. Some people may be more predisposed to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, for others mental health disorders may be a consequence of environmental circumstances, where they are subjected to negative interactions of others. Many women in South Africa are unfortunately victims of gender-based violence. The Q2 crime stats in 2023/2024 reported that South Africa recorded 10,516 rapes, 1,514 cases of attempted murder, and 14,401 assaults against female victims. While the ideal scenario is for women to leave these situations, but sometimes financial and psychological dependencies prevent them from leaving. In dealing with these situations Dr. Mashego suggests that the first step is recognising the abuser’s motivations for their abusive behaviour and in subsequent steps it is healing yourself and taking back your power. Tune in for more…

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February 1, 2024

Dr Keitumetse Mashego clinical and sports psychologist

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Keitumetse "Tumi" Mashego who is a clinical and sports psychologist in private practice. Dr. Mashego offers some strategies to help people ful...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the High Commissioner of Australia Tegan Brink, she is accredited to seven countries in Southern Africa – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and eSwatini. Prior to this appointment she was posted in New York as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Permanent Mission to the UN, and Chef de Cabinet to the President of the UN General Assembly. She also served in the Australian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law in Geneva. Her interest in cultural diversity and a desire to have a positive impact on the world began in childhood. She further credits her education with studies in Australia, America, the Netherlands, and China as steppingstones that successively created opportunities that progressively built upon each other.  She believes that through hard work and working methodically towards your goals, you can attain them. Personal goals are important. We discuss how by using creative resource management she was able to excel in her roles and not forfeit opportunities. We discuss some of the multilateral objectives of the Australian High Commission, touching on trade, mining, scientific collaborations (like the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project), sports diplomacy and soft power. Additionally, Australia is committed to gender equality and women’s rights. Its development programs are mandated to include an 80% performance target that effectively addresses gender equality. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consciously works to encourage women to take up leadership positions. Some of the High Commissioner’s leadership tools include being prepared, cultivating networks and adopting inclusive leadership that empowers people to lead at all levels. Tune in for more.

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January 25, 2024

High Commissioner of Australia – Tegan Brink – discussing international relations, gender equality development and more

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the High Commissioner of Australia Tegan Brink, she is accredited to seven countries in Southern Africa – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, N...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Lizelle de Wee who is a clinical psychologist in private practice. The beginning of a new year is often a period of reflection and many of us are no strangers to creating resolutions for the new year. Unfortunately, the majority of us miss the mark. The key difference between those that follow through with their commitments versus those that give up is putting concrete steps into achieving their goals. In addition to designing a plan with actionable steps to achieve your goals, Dr de Wee recommends creating systems and routines as part of the process to keep targets on track. Our conversation acknowledges that people tend to project different aspects of themselves in work, familial and romantic relationships. We often portray our best selves in the workspace, partly because it’s expected of us and sometimes we expose our loved ones to our less appealing selves. Covid played a significant role in changing the demarcation of boundaries between work and home, in many cases obliterating these boundaries, not allowing people to transition between environments the way that they had done previously. Mental health is important. Dr de Wee shares a few pointers to assist women in their wellbeing, such as determining explicit boundaries, prioritizing self-care, setting realistic goals and taking time out to reset and reignite their energies when needed. Tune in for more…

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January 11, 2024

Dr Lizelle de Wee – Clinical Psychologist – Action drives intent

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Lizelle de Wee who is a clinical psychologist in private practice. The beginning of a new year is often a period of reflection and many of us ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Advocate Thando Gumede, a Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), which is one of six Chapter 9 institutions tasked with guarding South Africa's Democracy. We discuss the role of the CGE, which is mandated to promote, respect, protect, develop and attain gender equality, as well as making recommendations affecting the status of women. Several international instruments promote and uphold the rights of women, which have been ratified in South Africa. These include, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Sustainable Development Goals (notably Goal 5), and SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. These regional and global frameworks address diverse forms of gender discrimination #16DaysOfActivism. However, policy without implementation is meaningless. Citizens need to be aware of their rights, take ownership of them and act when infractions occur. People should also exercise their power on political leadership and hold them accountable to deliver what they commit to.  Advocate Gumede notes a positive trend where women are reshaping their ideals in society and recognising their value as individuals; they are not defining their identities in relation to someone else i.e. a girlfriend, fiancé, wife. Advocate Gumede reflects on her journey as a gender activist, where unfortunate circumstances in life redirected her passion for engineering and innovation to study law with an entrepreneurship mind set. She received an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation scholarship to finance her studies. After ten years in the making, she was appointed to be a Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality.  She reminds us to find our courage, that life is a constant journey, and to be receptive to inputs that shape us into becoming the humans we were destined to be. Tune in for more…

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December 15, 2023

Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality – Advocate Thando Gumede

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Advocate Thando Gumede, a Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), which is one of six Chapter 9 institutions tasked with guardin...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the High Commissioner of Jamaica to South Africa Joan Thomas Edwards, who is concurrently accredited to 18 other countries from Southern and East Africa. The High Commissioner established Jamaica’s first High Commission in South Africa in 2006 and today serves as its leader. Jamaica has established several memorandums of understanding with South Africa, in sports, tourism, arts and culture and trade. The High Commissioner aims to build and activate these areas. High Commissioner Thomas Edwards reflects on some of the milestones in her career and lifelong learning, which helps to successively build a basket of skills. For example, in multilateral diplomacy you work with institutions like the United Nations and Commonwealth and figure out how to negotiate your position, as a small country, with these large organisations. The High Commissioner shares the following words of advice. Know yourself, don’t be defined by other people. Know your tribe, make sure you surround yourself with the right people. Make sure you know what season of life you are in and make the right choices. Be yourself at all times The empowerment of women is a focal point for Jamaica. It has a gender policy and aims to achieve gender equality. Whilst women have made progress, we cannot forget that women experience discrimination and one in four are victims of gender based violence. This is a statistic we should aim to put an end to and consider what actions we can all take to stop GBV, particularly during the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Tune in for more…

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December 7, 2023

High Commissioner of Jamaica to South Africa Joan Thomas Edwards

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the High Commissioner of Jamaica to South Africa Joan Thomas Edwards, who is concurrently accredited to 18 other countries from Southern and East A...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Ambassador of Austria to South Africa, Romana Königsbrun, who is also accredited to nine other countries in the region: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Ambassador Königsbrun shares some of the landmarks in her career, remarking on the positive impact of good bosses. Mentors nurture development and encourage mentees to stretch beyond their comfort zones and embrace opportunities for growth. Sometimes women are reluctant to apply for positions where they do not yet possess all the capabilities of a role, which is a disservice to themselves, rather see this as a chance to acquire new skills and advance yourself. Austria is involved in several projects in Africa, which include the renewable energy sector (SOLTRAIN), support for the interparliamentary forum for SADC and advocacy for women’s rights. Part of the Austrian Development Co-operation’s focus is on gender equality, for example, in relation to gender-based violence (GBV) it has programs to improve victim protection, where public prosecutors, judges and police receive training to sensitise them to various facets of GBV. Additionally, Austria has collaborated with SADC to create model law on GBV. This provides scalable benefits, where countries do not have to derive their own laws and can instead use systems that have already been created. Ambassador Königsbrun remarks on the importance of sisterhood and building relationships throughout your life. Networks are valuable constructs that you need to invest into; they are reciprocal. Women of today should look out for the next generation, offer them guidance so they can rise to their full potential. Tune in for more…

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November 15, 2023

Ambassador of Austria to South Africa, Romana Königsbrun

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the Ambassador of Austria to South Africa, Romana Königsbrun, who is also accredited to nine other countries in the region: Angola, Botswana, Eswa...

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