Mandisa Monakali

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Mandisa Monakali
Mandisa Monakali 2.jpg
Born
Died3 November 2024
Education University of the Western Cape (B.A., 1983)
Alma mater University of the Western Cape
Occupation(s)Nonprofits, community organizer
Website www.ilithalabantu.org.za

Mandisa Monakali (d. 3 November 2024) [1] [2] [3] was a South African public speaker, educator, social worker, researcher, lobbyist, advocate, project manager, strategic planner, workshop and community organizer. She was the founder and Executive Director of Ilitha Labantu. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Monakali's work addressed issues such as violence against women and children, human rights, equality, rural development, Millennium Development Goals, and Sustainable Development Goals.

Early life and education

Mandisa Monakali was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She began advocating for women's rights at age 16. During the apartheid period, she started a program to educate women in her home. She was arrested and spent 18 months in jail. Upon her release she lived underground for a year until it was safe.[ citation needed ]

She attended ID Mkize High School in Cape Town. She then attended the University of the Western Cape, where she studied preschool education. She graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983.[ citation needed ]

Career

Monakali spent most of her adult life in human and community development, with a focus on gender development and leadership training for women and youth.[ citation needed ] She was a member of Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), and organized the Women's Action Tent at the World's Summit on Sustainable Development. [7]

Monakali and Litha Musyimi-Ogana, the Regional Director of The African Center for Empowerment in Kenya, organized the Women's Peace Train during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), 27 August – 4 September 2002. The Women's Peace Train journeyed from Rwanda to South Africa. Women from several African countries escorted the Peace Train to advocate for and demand an end to wars and conflict in their countries. The Peace Train's goal as stated in the invitations they sent out; "To pass on a strong message to the continent′s leaders, war mongers, armies, guerrillas, arms traders and dealers in the African continent that women want peace and stability for their children and future generations and call upon ring leaders and perpetrators of these wars to end them forthwith." The message to the WSSD was that there can be do sustainable development without addressing peace. The Africa Women's Peace Train was launched in Kampala, Uganda on 15 August with a ceremony where a Peace Torch was received. The Peace Train traveled through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana and ending in Johannesburg, South Africa for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) on 25 August 2002. [8] [9] [10] [11]

In 2005 and 2015, Monakali represented South Africa at the annual United Nations Conference on the Status of Women. She stated at the CSW59 in 2015; "For us Beijing +20 was not about UN, it was about our daily lives as South African women and you could see what was happening now in the country. The number of women we have in construction for instance has increased". [12]

She was one of the organizers for Take Back the Night in South Africa.[ citation needed ]

Ilithia Labantu

Ilitha Labantu was founded in 1989 and was registered as a non-profit NGO in South Africa with the Department of Social Development in 2003. It is a South Africa social service and educational organization that works and provides services for disadvantaged Gugulethu, Township (South Africa) communities throughout the Western Cape Town. Mandisa participates globally in conferences and events representing Ilitha and South Africa. [13] [14] The organization promotes peace and development with a focus on economic empowerment, and to eradicate violence against women. [15] [16]

Ilitha's main focus is the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. [17]

Ilitha focuses on community mobilization, outreach, and program initiatives for women to participate in programs that are economically and socially beneficial. The organization was created to deal with violence against women and children which was seen as an obstacle to development in the township communities. [18] [19] [20]

Ilitha Labantu sponsors events during the annual commemoration of the 1956 Women's March, an anti-apartheid demonstration that was held in Pretoria, South Africa.[ citation needed ]

Awards

Related Research Articles

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References

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  2. "Human Rights activist, Mandisa Monakali laid to rest - eNCA".
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  4. "Taking A Stand Against Abuse". 4 December 2017 via PressReader.
  5. "#DontLookAway: Founder of Ilitha Labantu takes a stand against abuse".
  6. "Free wi-fi spots declared in Gugs".
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  10. "UN WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT". www.fire.or.cr. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
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  12. "Our country's women - Municipal Focus Magazine". 13 July 2015.
  13. "Hearings". www.unngls.org. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  14. "Committed to providing essential support". m.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  15. "Woman of courage". News24. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  16. "www.siphokazisings.co.za|Siphokazi Sings|Ethembeni|Amacala|Vula Mama|Ubuntu Bam|Usemcane|Love So Deep|Siphokazi Mohape |Siphokazi Maraqana|Siphokazi Singer|siphokazisings.co.za|siphokazi sings". Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
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  18. "Who we are - Ilitha Labantu".
  19. "Building the Nation - Bou Die Nasie". Sakhisizwe. Blogspot. 2013.
  20. 1 2 "3rd World Conference of Women's Shelters - Mandisa Monakali". www.worldshelterconference.org.