The following statement is authored by the Aspen New Voices Fellowship on 2018 Aspen New Voices Fellow Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng’s recent appointment as UN Special Rapporteur for Health.
Contact: Jon Purves
Senior Media Relations Manager
The Aspen Institute
jon.purves@aspeninstitute.org
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 Aspen Institute is proud to include Dr. T as a Senior Fellow and wishes her the best of luck in her new role.
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The New Voices Fellowship at the Aspen Institute is a groundbreaking initiative designed to bring more expert voices from the developing world into the global development discussion. Launched in 2013, and with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations and other funders, the New Voices Fellowship is part of the Aspen Global Innovators Group. For more information, visit www.aspennewvoices.org.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.