The Advisory Board

Professor Maheshvari Naidu

Maheshvari  ORCID NO: 0000-0003-0398-3834 is Full Professor in Anthropology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and works from a critical feminist perspective. Her work cuts across interdisciplinary research spaces, with the sustained vector of gender and body politic work in fields such as religion, migration, spatiality – all from a decolonial, and deeply qualitative perspective with a focus on lived realities, especially of gendered and marginalised groups. She relishes work in transdisciplinary contexts and research methodologies that foreground empathy, intuition, inclusivity and social justice. She is currently the academic liaison and coordinator for international partnerships and global engagements in the School of Social Sciences. She is PI and Co-I on a number of international projects. She was appointed as six-month visiting professor at the Forum Internationale Wissenscaft at the University of Bonn in 2022/2023 where she was engaged in a project on Internationalisation in Higher Education. She has supervised a large cohort of Postgraduate students and has graduated 15 Masters and 25 Doctoral students. She has mentored a cohort of over 12 Postdoctoral Fellows. Many of her Doctoral and Postdoctoral mentees have themselves entered prestigious academic positions. She considers her two boys as her best teachers! Email: [email protected]

 

Dr Jane Ndungu

Jane is a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology, University of Exeter. She specialises in co-development of interventions aimed at preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG). More specifically, Jane’s work centres around promoting inclusion of marginalised groups in VAWG research. Her research is mainly based in sub-Saharan Africa, but she is also involved in various activities aimed at strengthening VAWG research in low- and middle-income countries beyond Africa. Jane holds a PhD in Psychology from Nelson Mandela University where she is also an honorary researcher. She is published in academic journals on the topic of VAWG and trauma.

 

 

 

Dr. Nadia Bernon

Dr. Nadia Bernon is a powerful advocate for women’s empowerment and community development. She is the Founder and Director of the Newlands East Humane Society (est. 2016), Chairperson of the Rapid Response Team on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Newlands East, and a board member of the KZN Civil Society Organisations Council. She also chairs the North Region NGO sector in the eThekwini AIDS Council and serves as International Sectorial Head for Women in Community Services. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the ‘Warrior Women South Africa’ Top 20 (Philanthropy category), the ‘ACYMNE 2023 Woman in Community Involvement’ award, and the 2024 Global Peace Ambassador title. She was a keynote speaker for the Global Partnership’s “Unite for Her” campaign during the 16 Days of Activism, represented by over 80 civil society organisations worldwide. In 2024, she also addressed the International Women’s Day Conference, uniting voices from over 150 countries.

In August, she will receive the GBV Champion Award at the KZN GBV Gala hosted by DSK Group. Nadia is a tireless campaigner against GBV and femicide, offering survivors counselling, shelter, and legal aid. Her community impact is visible through awareness campaigns, safe spaces for women and children, and long-standing work with the KZN Network on Violence Against Women since 2005. Despite being a mother of four sons, she balances family life with her passion for service, leading a dedicated team of women who make a daily difference. Follow her journey on  Facebook

Dr Ndumiso Daluxolo Ngidi 

Dr. Ndumiso Daluxolo Ngidi is an Associate Professor in Inclusive Education at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. He holds a BSocSci, a Master of Development Studies, and a PhD from UKZN. His research explores Gender and Children’s Geographies, focusing on how gender, sexuality, and space shape young people’s lives. Rooted in social justice, Dr. Ngidi’s work integrates gender, sexuality, and geography to address youth experiences, particularly in township contexts. In 2014, he became a Fellow of the HSRC/UCLA Leadership in HIV and GBV Prevention Programme, leading youth-focused initiatives in schools. His research often highlights the lives of young men and the impact of class and social inequality. In 2018, he was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Most Influential Young South Africans in Education. He also received the World Bank/Sexual Violence Research Initiative’s Development Marketplace award for his innovative school safety project using a “walking school bus” model in KwaZulu-Natal. Dr. Ngidi is active in academic and civic spaces, having presented at numerous national and international conferences. He is a former Chairperson of the Global Shapers Community–Durban Hub. His publications span topics such as sexual violence, transformative pedagogies, and queerphobic geographies. Through his research, advocacy, and community engagement, Dr. Ngidi continues to drive change in education and social justice, working toward a more inclusive and equitable society

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?hl=en&user=R3dgj5oAAAAJ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ndumiso-Ngidi?ev=hdr_xprf

Dr Stephen Thompson

Dr Stephen Thompson is a researcher who works across the disciplines of geography and development studies. He is currently a Fellow in the Participation Inclusion, and Social Change cluster at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). His research mainly focuses on disability inclusion. He is the Principal Investigator of the Disability Inclusive Development Networks coordination project, which involves working with ten international networks that are focused on disability inclusive arts and humanities research. He previously worked on two major UK Aid funded disability inclusive development projects – Inclusion Works and Inclusive Futures. In addition, he also previously worked on the Knowledge and Evidence for Development programme. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is the co-convenor of the Master’s in Development Studies course at IDS. He lectures on participatory development, disability inclusive development, poverty, and research design. He has geographical experience of working in Europe, Asia and Africa. He completed his doctorate at the Technological University Dublin in collaboration with University KwaZulu Natal, as an African Vision Research Institute Scholar. His doctoral research focused on the social and economic impact of visual impairment in Mozambique. He has completed research consultancies for various aid and development agencies including those belonging to the UK, Irish, Swiss, Australian, and Norwegian governments, as well as for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, and various non-government organisations. He previously served on the Board of the charity Vision Action as a Trustee.

Dr Mary E Lange

Dr Mary E Lange is an independent arts, culture, and heritage practitioner, researcher, and author who practices as MeL (Mentor, Educate, Learn). She is a research affiliate at the Centre for Communication, Media and Society at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her applied heritage and arts focus, which includes the impact on spiritual wellbeing, is reflected in her projects, research and books. These are primarily co-authored with several contributors who represent the diversity of South Africa’s language, culture, and geographical landscape. This aims to foster intercultural knowledge and understanding in both the process and the product