In 2018, Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng took the stage at Aspen Ideas: Health Festival. “What will the next phase of my journey look like?”, she asked the universe. The universe has answered: UN Special Rapporteur for Health.
Today, the Aspen New Voices Fellowship congratulates Dr. T, as she is affectionately known, on her new role. Dr T told the Daily Maverick, “I have taken the role as UN special rapporteur because it is about human rights, and fighting for human rights to be the backbone of every aspect of society… it’s about being able to raise questions about accountability, be it from government or global funders, and to make sure patients’ rights and needs are what drives agendas and funding models”.
Dr. T has long been an advocate, activist, and champion for sexual and reproductive health and rights around the globe. She is a general practitioner with a focus on sexual and reproductive health, and a best-selling author (Dr. T: A Guide to Sexual Health and Pleasure).
Dr. T currently serves as the Commissioner to the South African Commission for Gender Equality and has recently used her voice to speak about the impact of COVID-19 related lockdowns on reproductive rights and gender-based violence.
The New Voices Family is proud to include Dr. T as a Senior Fellow and wishes her the best of luck in her new role.
Read Dr. T’s latest:
- Essence: “No strings attached: the only kind of health care aid we want from the U.S.”
- She.Leads.Africa: “Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng: I envision a world where all people are at the centre of reproductive health agenda“
- Project Syndicate: “Violence against women is blocking development“
- Teen Vogue: “Sexual Pleasure is a Human Right“