The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is marking Women’s Month by celebrating a distinguished group of leaders, scholars and activists whose contributions span human rights, social justice, education, diplomacy and public leadership.
The university’s 2026 Honorary Doctorate Celebration brings together recipients whose work reflects UWC’s commitment to transformation, human dignity and positive social change.
Among those being honoured is Advocate Adila Hassim SC, whose current role as an evidence leader at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has placed her at the centre of one of the country’s most closely watched investigations into allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system.
Hassim is also a prominent public-interest and human rights lawyer and co-founder of SECTION27. Her career has focused on constitutional rights and access to healthcare, while she also represented South Africa before the International Court of Justice.
Her image should be used as the main image for the Social TV story, as her ongoing work at the Madlanga Commission gives the UWC recognition a strong and immediate news connection.
The university is also recognising the late Mandisa Monakali, founder of Ilitha Labantu, who dedicated more than four decades to advancing the rights of women and children. Her work included advocacy and support for survivors of gender-based violence.
Another posthumous recipient is Charlotte Mannya Maxeke, whose contribution to education, political activism and women’s participation in public life helped shape South Africa’s social justice movement. As founder of the Bantu Women’s League, her legacy continues to influence generations of women leaders.
Former Irish President Mary Therese Winifred Robinson is being recognised for a global career centred on equality, human rights and climate justice. Robinson, who became Ireland’s first woman President, also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Former Cabinet Minister and diplomat Dr Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor is among the South African leaders being celebrated. An educator, parliamentarian and diplomat, Pandor has contributed extensively to public life and South Africa’s engagement on global governance, peace and human rights.
International legal scholar Francesca Paola Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories, is being recognised for her work concerning the rights of displaced and occupied populations.
The group also includes Professor Emeritus Loyiso G. Nongxa, a distinguished mathematician and higher education leader. Nongxa was South Africa’s first Black Rhodes Scholar and the first Black Vice-Chancellor of Wits University, with his career spanning mathematics, higher education leadership and transformation.
The honorary doctorate recipients will participate in a special moderated engagement reflecting on their achievements, experiences and contributions to society.
By bringing together figures from law, activism, education, diplomacy, academia and international human rights, UWC’s celebration places the focus on leadership that has translated knowledge and influence into wider societal change.
The event forms part of the university’s Women’s Month programme and provides an opportunity to recognise both contemporary changemakers and historical figures whose work continues to influence South Africa and the world.
