Promise Mthembu

Promise Mthembu (born 1975) is a South African human rights activist and researcher, best known for her work on HIV/AIDS and women's rights. One of the first women in South Africa to publicly share that she was living with HIV, Mthembu is a founder of the Gugu Dlamini Action Group, the Young Woman's Dialogue, and the Her Rights Initiative. Quotes “That anger led me to be open about my HIV status.” Green left “I realised that there was a reason to hope.” Green left “An HIV diagnosis does not give you power, it puts you in a worse position.” Mail & Guardian “You are the same woman, but more vulnerable, more marginal and violence-prone, with little hope of redress or community solidarity.” Mail & Guardian “I am deeply concerned about programmes that assume that HIV-positive women have power.” Mail & Guardian “Women are more likely to disclose their HIV status than to disclose the fact that they were sterilised. You are still a woman even if you have HIV, if you are infertile, you are only half a woman - UyiNyumba (barren) – the worst derogatory label a woman can have.” ** “Let’s talk about it at the beginning of pregnancy rather than initiating the conversation when I am in labour, in a very vulnerable situation. It should be ME who initiates the conversation about contraception and ending my fertility. My Body, My Womb, My Rights and My Decisions.” ** External links https://za.boell.org/en/2024/08/26/dr-sethembiso-promise-mthembu https://www.hivjustice.net/news-from-other-sources/south-africa-the-ongoing-struggle-of-women-living-with-hiv-against-forced-sterilisation-in-south-africa/ Category:Women from South Africa Category:Anti-apartheid activists Category:African National Congress politicians Category:1975 births