Mzi Nduna: Champion of women’s rights

An esteemed South African academic with expansive experience as an educator, trainer and researcher, Mzi Nduna is a professor in public health.

She has research interests in sexual and reproductive health, social cohesion, the reduction of harmful alcohol use, HIV/Aids, father connections, gender and gender-based violence, sexual minorities, and adolescent girls and young women’s sexuality.

Her scholarly work prioritises community engagement through collaborations with local, national and international groups.

Nduna, who is the dean of the faculty of health sciences at the University of Fort Hare, is also a member of the Gender-Based Violence Prevention Network for the Horn, East and Southern Africa, the HIV Vaccines Network, and the South African National Aids Council Women’s Sector.

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Here Nduna answers questions about her line of work.

Q: What is your background?

I have worked in education and health for close to 30 years, focusing on higher education. This spans government as well as the non-profit world. I am attracted to transformational work and work that addresses gender justice.

What is the big picture most people miss when it comes to gender justice?

A: There is pushback and resistance to gender transformation and gender justice. Not only in South Africa but worldwide. Women, particularly black African women, are mistreated in organisations. Black African women face disdain, disrespect, disparagement, and having their opinions dismissed. Black African women are expected to be everybody’s cheer leader. To not be thinkers. To not have independent opinions. And to put up with having their professional stature questioned.

What must change to deal with this problem?

A: We need to see appreciation of women in their diversity. The privileged, middle class, assertive and acculturated woman is the image of transformation. We need gendered insights into the experiences women bring to the (boardroom) table. Both positive and negative. We need consideration of the unspoken ongoing experiences of everyday sexism at work. Women are not going to report everyday sexism. Expecting women to do so is ridiculous.

What are you managing to achieve?

A: In my varied roles, I strive to imagine that women’s lives are difficult. I take for granted women’s everyday experiences of sexism. I imagine that women need varied, differentiated and extra effort of support to succeed in the world of work. Listening to woman encourages them to speak out. I offer myself to listen so that I understand from the perspective of the other. This does not mean, however, that I am not able to still consider the interests of the organisation, institution or company.

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What keeps you awake at night? What are your worries for 2024?

A: The shrinking space for women to authentically show up and contribute to society.

What motivates you to continue in your work?

A: I love my work – all aspects of it. I am motivated by genuine people who do their best everyday and lift others as they rise.

How do you deal with the trauma of your work?

A: Two years ago, I moved back to my hometown. This helped ground me, and I’m loving the connection. My everyday experiences here help me confirm that I am not mad – but that the system is crazy. Supporting women and women’s work helps me feel better about my own traumatic experiences. I use my pain to contribute to alleviating pain for others. This makes the burden lighter for me.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to succeed in this work?

A: Not anymore. It is important for women to do well; get support and succeed in their work. Yet this need not come with extreme pressure. There is enough pressure on women to show up as human beings; to show up as women. To show up as obedient straight women, to show up as humble wives, to show up as perfect mothers, to show up as many things. To counter the pressure to succeed needs one to be mindful about self-care.

Who or what inspires you?

A: Learning about women doing groundbreaking work.

What is a quote to live by?

A: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives,” by Audre Lorde.

– This article is part of a collaboration between Quote This Woman+ and The Citizen