TEAM MEMBERS

Linda Mafu is the Head of Political and Civil Society for the Global Fund.

Quarraisha Abdool Karim is an infectious diseases epidemiologist, Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA, UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV, Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University

Vuyiseka has been one of the young leading black African women leaders in social movements for the human rights of people living with HIV in South Africa.

L. Leigh-Ann van der Merwe is a self-identified South African coloured transgender woman. She is the founder and director of Social, Health and Empowerment Feminist Collective, an organisation working to bring the political voice of transgender women into research, praxis, and advocacy.

Nkosikhona Mpungose is a community development activist who is the founder and chairperson of Youth Inter-Active (YIA).

Caroline Bunga Idembe is a lawyer by profession and a human rights activist with 27 years of experience and a wide range of experience in peacebuilding and conflict resolution, women rights, governance, social protection, networking, and partnership development, disability programming, training, gender, legal, human rights, economic empowerment, project planning, and management.

Candice Chirwa is an author, gender activist, and thought leader. Better known as the Minister of Menstruation, her activism is led by the belief that menstruators deserve fundamental human rights.

Kanyisa Booi is the founder and campaign manager at the social enterprise - Matriarch and Sons. Her work is in the intersection between human rights and community development with a special focus on Sexual and Reproductive Justice- this includes gender violence and domestic violence.

Patrick Mdletshe, National Deputy Chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), and newly appointed Head of the CAPRISA Community Programme.

Sixolile Ngcobo is a seasoned gender and sustainable development Practitioner and is trained in psychology and employee wellness.

Shamim Salim is a young Queer Muslim disabled feminist and a human rights activist.

Refiloe Sibisi is a 24-year-old Professional Youth Advisor for the MindKind study in South Africa through Higher Health SA.

Dr. Angeli Achrekar serves as the Acting U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.

Mandisa Dlamini is a daughter of a HIV Activist Gugu Dlamini, who was stoned to death in 1998 after disclosing her HIV status KwaMancinza in Durban.

Prof Mzikazi Nduna is an esteemed South African academic and consultant with expansive experience as an educator, trainer, and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Thuthukile Mbatha is a Regional Advocacy Officer at AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA). She is a sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) activist with a particular interest in HIV prevention.

Mthembu currently holds a position of Deputy Director for research and policy analysis in the Ministry in the Presidency Responsible for women, youth and persons with disabilities.