"Empower your women, you empower your nation!”
In this episode of Awake at night, we meet Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. A voice of deep authority on this subject, with a lifetime of activism and service, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is the Executive Director of UN Women. Born and raised in South Africa, as a young teacher she joined the struggle to end apartheid and to reshape her country. She served in parliament, in ministerial roles and as Deputy President when Nelson Mandela took over the Presidency. She used her positions to bring new perspectives to the country’s priorities, combat poverty and bring the advantages of a growing economy to the poor, with a particular focus on women.
Phumzile shares anecdotes about her friendship with Mandela and describes the formative issues behind her leadership of women’s rights and drive for investment in gender equality that culminate in the Generation Equality Forum. These insights inform the innovative alliances across generations, feminist and youth movements, civil society, philanthropy, governments and the private sector that promise accelerated change for the women and girls who need it most.
"I mean, I always say I remember, as a young person, I used to have a T-shirt, which said, ‘victory or death.’ And I think about it now I'm like, ‘What was I thinking?’ "
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Screen-shot photo credit: ©UN Women/Neema Muunga
