S3 E1:Binaries and Boxes

In conversation with Dr Mzikazi Nduna

In this episode Dr Mzikazi Nduna is in conversation with Thiruna Naidoo from the SOGIESC Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, discussing gender binaries and boxes. Dr Nduna explains what sexuality and gender binaries are and goes on to give recommendations on how to rethink sexualities,  gender identities and expressions in a manner that respects human rights. The conversation illustrates how human rights norms often enforce gender binaries and essentialise discourses on gender issues. In light of the high number of recorded cases of gender- based violence in South Africa and other parts of the world,  she advocates for gender-based violence activists to include the LGBTIQ+ community in the conversation.

Dr Mzikazi Nduna is an esteemed South African with affiliations to a variety of academic and civil society organisations, movements and initiatives. Dr Mzikazi Nduna is an author, educator, a researcher, a trainer and a scholar with a strong ethic of community engagement with science. She has 25 years of work experience that spans teaching in two public high schools, peer education and training in various communities in South Africa, researcher and technical support in local, regional and international collaborations. She currently works as an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Mzikazi Nduna’s work is underpinned by a philosophy to bridge the gap between science and practice. This has earned her recognition and awards. Dr Mzikazi Nduna contributes to the human rights sector and in particular to the LGBTIQ+ sector through her involvement in boards of organisations such as GenderDynamix, and IRANTI. She also serves the South African government and civil society through her appointment to various task teams: she is currently a member of the National Prevention Task Team for  South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and the 2020 National Technical Reference Team on the Legal Review of Discriminatory Laws. She has been running workshops and teaching using the ‘Boxes and Binaries’ since 2011 and has been a member of the course Faculty for the past three years. Some of Dr Mzikazi’s Nduna’s publications can be found here.

This episode was recorded during the Advanced Human Rights Course on Sexual Minority Rights in Africa presented by the Centre for Human Rights.

This conversation was recorded on 25 February 2021.
Edited by Tatenda Musinahama

Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc