Women in Leadership By Jessie Taylor
Thuli Madonsela
- Creating equality through social justice
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s one of the most unequal societies in the world, south africans grapple with the enormous differences between the haves and have-nots. at the heart of addressing this inequality, is the concept of social justice. The country’s foremost champion for social justice is Professor advocate Thuli Madonsela, law Trust Research Chair in social Justice at stellenbosch university.
FighTing For change Prof. Madonsela conducts and coordinates social justice research and teaches constitutional and administrative law. She is also the founder of the Thuma Foundation, an independent democracy leadership and literacy social enterprise. An advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Prof. Madonsela has been a lifelong activist on social justice, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. She is one of the drafters of the Constitution and co-architect of several laws, such as the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, the Employment Equity Act and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act.
in her role at stellenbosch University, Prof. Madonsela has become one of the most eminent advocates for social justice
In 2014, she was named one of TIME100’s most influential people in the world. In 2016, she was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2016. Prof. Madonsela has been awarded several Lifetime Achievement Awards and has five honorary doctor of law degrees. Prof. Madonsela previously held a seven-year term as South Africa’s Public Protector and has served as a full-time Commissioner at the South African Law Reform Commission. She was one of the founding members of the South African Women’s Lawyers Association. In her role at Stellenbosch University, Prof. Madonsela has become one of the most eminent advocates for social justice. The formal definition of social justice explains it to be, “the equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms regardless of human
34 | Public Sector Leaders | March 2023
