Stellenbosch University's Prof Thuli Madonsela has received yet another prestigious accolade.
Madonsela was recently included in Forbes Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women list, a first-of-its-kind Pan-African unranked compilation of the continent's leading women.
The Forbes Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women list is a compilation of women drawn from business, politics, media, science, sports and public life who are challenging the status quo by reshaping history, closing inequalities and pioneering for social justice.
“Being included in the Forbes Africa Powerful Women list is a humbling experience that suggests continued recognition of and support for my efforts in promoting democratic governance in pursuit of a better governed and more peaceful world," says Madonsela.
Among the other South African women included in the Forbes Africa list are Graca Machel (former UCT Chancellor), Charlize Theron (Oscar-winning actress), Caster Semenya (Olympic champion), Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (Executive Director, United Nations Women), Wendy Ackerman (Executive Director, Pick 'n Pay), Glenda Gray (President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)) and Yvonne Chaka Chaka (award-winning musician).
Picture: Extract from Forbes Africa March 2020 issue
As South Africa's former Public Protector, Madonsela has been hard at work as Chair in Social Justice in the Law Faculty of Stellenbosch University (SU), since she took the position in 2018.
Last year she hosted the first inaugural Social Justice Summit and International Conference and has since developed the Social Justice M-Plan (Mosa-Plan for Social Justice). The Social Justice M-Plan is a social justice accelerator programme that aims to catalyse the process of ending poverty and equalising life opportunities by 2030 as envisaged in the National Development Plan (NDP) read with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to Madonsela, being part of the Forbes Africa list will provide a platform for marketing her research work as the Chair in Social Justice at SU and help pave the way for enhanced stakeholder buy-in for the Social Justice M-Plan.
She recently also launched an "action-oriented digital platform" for social justice, which is a think-tank to help assess the impact of COVID-19 and policy responses to it from a social justice perspective, focusing on poverty, inequality and mental health.
Madonsela believes the African continent will not only beat the current global COVID-19 pandemic but must also embrace the new “lens it offers for seeing our reality and opportunities available" for tackling poverty and inequality.
“My greatest hope is that Africa with great leadership and unity in action will use the COVID-19 disruption to arrest underdevelopment, corruption and extreme poverty and inequality within constituent states," says Madonsela.
To see the full list of Forbes Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women click here.
Originally published by Rozanne Engel on the Stellenbosch University website.