Former Deputy Minister of Defence and Deputy Minister of Health – Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge

This week on Womanity – Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to former Deputy Minister of Defence and Deputy Minister of Health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, who reflects on some of the influences in her journey to politics, from foundational schooling at Inanda Seminary, whose motto is, ‘Shine where you are’; to her introduction to Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement; to the University of Natal – Black Section – which trained black doctors and was a site of struggle but home to activism. She joined the underground African National Congress in 1979, participated in establishing the Natal Organisation of Women and became its chair. In 1990 she became a member of the executive committee of the Women’s National Coalition and thereafter served as a member of parliament for 15 years. We discuss the progress that has been attained to improve access to equal opportunities for women and the need to keep persisting to achieve transformation and equality. We speak about gender violence with an emphasis on GBV incurred through exploitation in the sex trade, and the work that Ms Madlala-Routledge does through her NGO, Embrace Dignity, to address these issues. Tune in for more…