Five years of nurturing female academic leaders
- Wits University
The Female Academic Leaders Fellowship marked this milestone with high-powered discussions on gender, followed by a ‘fireside chat’ with students.
The double bill event on 8 August was held on the eve of Women’s Day, with the morning session attended by leaders from various universities as well as politicians, business leaders, leaders of philanthropic organisations, and prominent members of society.
Dr Judy Dlamini, Wits Chancellor and founder of the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF) welcomed stakeholders and highlighted that FALF’s successes since conception in 2019 (and official registration in 2020) are a testament to the power of collective action.
“FALF’s vision is to bring national systemic transformation of leadership in higher education by developing a pipeline of black female academic leaders, working with the executive leaders in the sector,” said the Chancellor.
“FALF is alive to national challenges and the academic sectors’ role in addressing them, including capacity building”. She thanked the Female Academic Alumnae Association (FALFAA), led by the President Dr Dineo Thabedze and the SRC leaders who worked closely with FALF to make the celebration a success. Read the report detailing achievements from 2020 - 2025.
Disrupting with purpose
Ms Vuyiswa Sidzumo, Regional Director of the Ford Foundation Southern African Office and FALF sponsor delivered the keynote address, titled: Pioneering Progress and Accelerating Gender Equality: Celebrating Five Years of FALF's Commitment to Women's Leadership.
She praised FALF for building with intention, care and clarity in its first years, adding that FALF is pioneering because it didn't wait for systems to fix themselves.
“It disrupted them with purpose. FALF is progress, because it has moved individuals, institutions and imaginations forward. And it is accelerating gender equality not just by naming injustice, but by cultivating the leadership to overcome it.”
The event also served as a soft launch of the Research Chair in Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion to be hosted by Nelson Mandela University and funded by the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF). Ms Konehali Gugushe, the CEO of FREF led the soft launch with Dr Palesa Mothapi from Nelson Mandela University thanking FREF and FALF for the partnership. This is FALF’s first intentional venture in scaling the program outside Wits University. Though she has fellows at the University of Cape Town, Sefako Makgatho University and now Nelson Mandela University.
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal said that the University is proud of what this Fellowship has achieved. “We remain deeply committed to supporting its continued growth and impact”.
‘Gender issues not redundant’
The fireside chat with students focused on gender in higher education. Discussants included Mr Mahloromela Seabi, Wits Postgraduate Association Chairman; Ms Nokuphiwa Xaba, Wits SRC: Gender and Transformation Officer; Professor Veronica Ntsiea, Interim President of the FALF Alumni Association and Head of Physiotherapy; and Dr Molapo Qhobela, FALF Board member. Ms Boitumelo Kuzwayo, a member of the FALF Board, facilitated the session.
The SRC’s Xaba, who is a final-year Bachelor of Education student majoring in Physical and Life Sciences, believes that the fireside chat was a crucial intergenerational conversation with youth who did not directly experience the oppression of women in the past.
“I learned that as redundant as these conversations seem, they are essential to the young generation of women. Furthermore, as much as the oppression is not loud, not direct, and not intense, it is there, and it is crucial to have such conversations to raise awareness and empower young women.
“My take-away from the fireside chat was what was mentioned by Prof. Veronica, that the resilience and determination of women that fought against the oppression of women in the academic space is something that should respected, through action, through learning, taking up space and ultimately diligent leadership”.
Though most of the students were postgraduate students from Wits University, there were postgraduate student from the University of Pretoria (UP) led by Dr Thabang Ngwenya, and the University of Johannesburg led by Ms Boitumelo Kuzwayo CA(SA). Some of the highlights were the Chancellor’s raffle where a laptop and laptop bag was awarded to a lucky student and entertainment by Zee Nxumalo.
