Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with the former Chairperson of the African Union Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is currently serving as South Africa’s Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. We spoke to Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on key outcomes of the summit 25th AU Summit, under the theme “Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063″ : the transformation efforts underway to better enable women working in agriculture; emphasising the need to deliver on gender quotas across the board to move towards 50:50 parity; the launch of the African Union Foundation; and the plans underway for the African Union to become self-reliant. Additionally, we address women in leadership, overcoming patriarchy and eradicating poverty through education. Tune in for more…

Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation – Ulla Tørnæs. We discuss some of the factors that motivated her career in politics and some memorable milestones. Minister Tørnæs notes that a key priority for her ministry is to express the voice of the millions of women and girls around the world who are either not able to express their voice, or enjoy equal rights and opportunities for equitable economic participation. We highlight aspects of the World Bank’s We-Fi initiative to facilitate access to capital for female entrepreneurs. We also discuss the SheDecides movement, which aims to mobilise a strong political voice for women to have access to family planning and contraception facilities, and have the ability to make their own decisions about their reproductive rights. Tune in for more…

Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with Mrs Zainab Hawa Bangura, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and former Minister of Health and Sanitation as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Sierra Leone. We discuss some of the highlights in her career, particularly the work in her current position to combat sexual violence against women in conflict countries. We address the importance of progressive men occupying leadership positions, who are supportive of empowering women by driving both policy reform and cultural shifts. We acknowledge the multiple roles of women in society and their capacity as change agents to positively transform their families, communities, country and continent. Tune in for more…

Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with Ms Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah who is the Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia, as well as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, and Vice-President of Namibia’s ruling party SWAPO. We retrace some of the steps in her enduring political career. We discuss the liberation movement in Namibia and its strategic focus areas post independence, on education, health, housing and agriculture. The Deputy Prime Minister shares some of the inroads that Namibia has made regarding women’s rights and their empowerment, including the national gender policy, pay parity and holding leadership positions across the public and private spectrum. We remark on the need to change stereotypical attitudes about gender roles to alter perceptions of women’s capabilities. The Deputy Prime Minister reminds us that the future is female. Tune in for more…

Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. We talk to Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka about UN Women’s activities in five priority areas to advance gender equality, which include increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in peace and security processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality an essential part of national development planning and budgeting.  Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka, draws attention to campaigns such as HeforShe which encourages constructive masculinity for men to stand up for women, as well as Impact 10x10x10 where heads of state champion a gender issue of their choice, for instance the President of Malawi is focussing on child marriage; ultimately these campaigns seek to get men to take responsibility in the fight against gender inequality. We mention the role of technology as a game changer in the innovation stakes, but remark that efforts must be undertaken to ensure equal access to prevent a digital divide.  Tune in for more….

Due to South Africa’s nationwide lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week we will be running a re-broadcast of our previous show with Ms Lilianne Ploumen, a Dutch politician with the Labour Party, currently serving as a member of parliament in the Netherlands, she was the former Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Netherlands and is the founder of SheDecides. We discuss the role of education (formal and informal) and an appetite for continued learning as a ticket for a better future. We unpack the purpose and milestones of the SheDecides movement which in less than year has garnered support from more than 60 countries across the globe to amplify women’s voices. We also talk about the steps of putting in motion a bill to close the gender pay gap in the Netherlands, which makes employers responsible for paying equal salaries their employees for work of equal value, irrespective of gender.  Tune in for more…

This week on Womanity – Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Professor Amy Niang, from the School of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand. Professor Niang is a political scientist with an interest in the history of state formation and related ideas of sovereignty, statehood, community and order. We discuss some aspects of her research and the School’s goal to develop its students teaching concepts like cosmopolitanism and multilateralism. We debate mechanisms to accelerate gender equality, highlighting legislative instruments and note that many activists tend to be female. We remark on the importance of mentoring young women to aid their advancement. Tune in for more…

This week on Womanity – Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Pan African Parliament member and Member of Parliament of Uganda, Jacqueline Amongin.  Her portfolio with the Pan African Parliament Committee encompasses agriculture and the youth caucus and as a member of the Parliament in Uganda she focuses on Public Accounts. Some of her focal areas in relation to women address parity of land ownership and youth development. Additionally, she established the Jacqueline Amongin Development Foundation, which aims to empower women with vocational skills, such as animal husbandry to rear goats and poultry products.  Tune in for more…

This week on Womanity – Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to the African Union Commission’s Head of Social Welfare – Dr. Jane Ongolo. Her portfolio encompasses children’s rights, human rights, governance, social protection, drug prevention and crime prevention. We raise issues of female genital mutilation and child marriage as gross acts of gender-based violence. We discuss education as an important equalizer in terms of gender equality and Dr Ongolo narrates her personal story of education, which she attributes to her success. She was the first girl from her village to go to school, every term she walked, with her belongings, 60km to and from school. Her core takeout from the Pan African Parliament, which was held under the African Union’s theme for 2020: “Silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development”, concerned mechanisms to combat child exploitation, particularly girls.  Tune in for more…

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