Engender’s staff is incredibly diverse....

• Dawn Bosman
• Nicole Brink
• Miriam Danne
• Juliana Davids
• Malinda Droomer
• Ruendree Govinder
• Vainola Makan
• Esna Markus
• Lisa Middleton
• Bernedette Muthien - Director
• Sonia Pinkney
• Funeka Soldaat
• Sharon Staton

 

Dawn Bosman is a former garment worker, and now a full-time undergraduate student at the University of the Western Cape. In Dawn's own words: "For years I was stuck in a negative mind set - only when I changed my perspective on life did I start moving. I choose to volunteer for Engender because they empower woman."

 

Nicole Brink is a native Capetonian who is passionate about gender issues. She is currently completing an Honours degree in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape. Her first degree was in Women’s & Gender Studies, Psychology and Sociology. She wishes to contribute to developing communities so that gender issues are dealt with sensitively and humanely.

 

Miriam is a Political Science student from Berlin, Germany. She is focused on doing research on gender issues and the fight against right wing extremism. She is motivated to participate actively in enhancing equity between women and men worldwide. Among her passions are computers, sports and making television reports, which she likes to creatively integrate into all her work.

 

Jules grew up in a beautiful rural town, Ashton, and traces her Khoe identity through her mother line. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree (part-time) in Women & Gender Studies at the University of Western Cape (UWC) . Since 2001, Jules has worked on various gender and HIV initiatives as an educator, VCT counsellor, gender trainer and volunteer coordinator across sectors (corporate, government, civil society), including at Hope Worldwide, Pollsmoor prison, and UWC. She was awarded the UWC Student Representative Council’s “Impact award”.

Jules also stars in a unique play, “Reclaiming the P… Word”, which deals with each actor’s experiences of gender and gender violence in South Africa. This play has been performed nationally, including at the 2007 South Africa’s National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

 

Malinda is an experienced gardener who has built up several community and backyard gardens in her community of Atlantis, a township some 50km from Cape Town. She has been part of various projects in Atlantis, aimed at empowering community members to create a sustainable and enjoyable environment for everyone. She is also an LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersexed) and women’s rights activist. Her gardening work stems from her deep sense of spirituality, that the earth, plants, animals and humans are inextricably connected and interdependent. She is reclaiming her KhoeSan heritage.

 

Ruendree Govinder runs a consultancy that specialises in assisting NGOs with technology-related advice, from developing websites to strategic IT planning. http://www.interiority.co.za or ruen "at" interiority.co.za

 

Vainola is a gender activist and works as a gender & sustainable development consultant across Southern Africa. Her intersectional interests include globalisation, environment, and young women's empowerment.

 

 

 

Esna Markus is originally from Keimoes in the Northern Cape, and of Khoisan descent. She is a multi-talented individual, who handles any job with a smile, from painting to gardening to domestic work. Fiercely independent, she has been variously employed in the motor and building industries, supermarkets, and as a domestic worker. She loves reading, especially novels and travel guides, and wishes that she could travel beyond South Africa one day. She is a compassionate person whose caring nature is a perfect fit with Engender’s work.

 

Lisa is a feminist and activist, who has extensive experience working in solidarity with human rights movements around the world. She is trained as a sexual and reproductive health educator and holds a Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in Women Studies from Carleton University, Canada. Lisa is an educator, conselor and leader who has previously worked for Planned Parenthood Ottawa, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa, the Canadian Youth for Choice (Canadian Federation for Sexual Health) and the University of Ghana's Sexual Health Centre.

 

See Board of Directors

 

 

 

 

 

Sonia Pinkney is a Canadian Engineer who is committed to supporting sustainable international development through appropriate technology. She initially worked with Engender through the Canadian Netcorps programme and now continues to support us as an online volunteer from Canada. Her invaluable work on this website contributed largely to it's success at the 2006 Sangonet Web Awards.

 

Funeka is an active and prominent member of the LGBTQI community in Cape Town. She is a longstanding community activist and was responsible for sheltering other LGBTQI community members when they were evicted by their families during the 1980s. Her lifelong commitment to activism and social justice makes her ideally suited to build the capacities of younger intersex activists.

 

Sharon is an attorney (2002) and has her own legal practice specializing in mediation, property and contractual matters. She has conducted extensive research and advocacy in the areas of abortion, gender violence, sex work, policy formation and the transformation of the criminal justice system. She has worked with diverse organizations, including the Rape Crisis Cape Town, the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW), the Cape Attorney General’s Task Group on Rape, the Gender Advocacy Project (GAP), the Centre for Epidemiology at the Medical Research Council, the Institute of Criminology, the African Gender Institute and the Human Rights Commission.