Dr Sethembiso Promise Mthembu

Mthembu is a feminist and development scholar and advocate for human rights of all women who live in margins of society.  Mthembu has worked in the HIV, and women’ rights, and development policy research and advocacy fields for more than twenty years. In 2009, Mthembu co-founded Her Rights Initiative (HRI), a social impact organisation  committed to creating safe spaces, promoting human rights, and advancing the strategic and practical interests of HIV positive women in their diversities in South Africa.

Mthembu serves as programmes lead for policy and advocacy for HRI, and a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA). Prior to taking a Post-doctoral fellowship at UNISA, Mthembu served as Deputy Director for research and policy analysis in the Ministry in the Presidency responsible for women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the republic of South Africa.

Her research interests are in the political economy of motherhood and reproduction in post-colonial societies.  Her PhD research focused on the political economy of contraception in post-apartheid South Africa. Mthembu edited a Special edition of Agenda, the Feminists Journal entitled   'The Politics of Women’s Health in South Africa'.