Padayachee’s impact, as an activist and academic against gender-based violence, left an indelible mark on SA’s society
20 July 2023 - 16:40
bySUTHENTIRA GOVENDER
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Tributes are pouring in for gender-rights activist, humanitarian and academic Dr Anshu Padayachee, who died on Tuesday night. The Durban-based Padayachee lost her battle with a long-term illness.
Many who knew Padayachee described her as “remarkable, compassionate and humble”.
The 1860 Heritage Centre said Padayachee played a leading role in various civil and academic positions in South African society.
Veteran journalist Devi Sankaree Govender paid tribute to her on her Facebook page, saying she was “deeply saddened to hear of the passing of firebrand #AnshuPadayachee, who played a major role in my life”.
“She is known for her work in higher education in the fields of technology, e-waste management, research and criminology. Hamba kahle, my friend. Your legacy lives on.”
Padayachee set up the Advice Desk for the Abused in 1986 with judge Navi Pillay, former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Under Padayachee’s leadership, the body became widely recognised for its work and has trained police, social workers and NGO employees, and provided crisis intervention for more than a million women. The non-profit provides counselling telephonically or on site for women (in the majority) based on alleged human rights violations.
Padayachee was the first South African black woman to obtain a PhD in the field of criminology and her dissertation on domestic violence was used extensively as a source guide for the promulgation of the Domestic Violence Act.
She developed and designed three training manuals and training programmes in the area of domestic violence.
Apart from her gender-based violence work, Padayachee was involved in management, teaching and research at universities for more than three decades.
After her long stint as a senior lecturer in criminology at the former University of Durban-Westville (UDW), she continued an illustrious career, being appointed as deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at the ML Sultan Technikon, now the Durban University of Technology (DUT), from 1998-2002 and acting vice-chancellor from 2001-2003.
Padayachee contributed to establishing entrepreneurship and skills programmes for universities and TVET colleges and a SAQA-accredited programme in waste management.
She also helped establish electronic waste plants at six universities.
Padayachee was a leading figure in academic and research-based communication among respected South African and Dutch senior research and academic staff in the discussion, planning, designing and implementation of the SA-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD). After the final agreement on the initiative, she was elected as CEO.
SANPAD was a programme that fostered co-operation between South African and Dutch researchers and funded high-quality research relevant to development. Among its pioneering initiatives, the most important were the research projects that focused on poverty reduction.
Padayachee became CEO of the Technological Higher Education Network SA (THENSA) in March 2016. She strongly believed the future of South Africa lay in the hands of educated youth.
Padayachee leaves behind her husband and children.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Gender rights champion Anshu Padayachee dies
Padayachee’s impact, as an activist and academic against gender-based violence, left an indelible mark on SA’s society
Tributes are pouring in for gender-rights activist, humanitarian and academic Dr Anshu Padayachee, who died on Tuesday night. The Durban-based Padayachee lost her battle with a long-term illness.
Many who knew Padayachee described her as “remarkable, compassionate and humble”.
The 1860 Heritage Centre said Padayachee played a leading role in various civil and academic positions in South African society.
Veteran journalist Devi Sankaree Govender paid tribute to her on her Facebook page, saying she was “deeply saddened to hear of the passing of firebrand #AnshuPadayachee, who played a major role in my life”.
“She is known for her work in higher education in the fields of technology, e-waste management, research and criminology. Hamba kahle, my friend. Your legacy lives on.”
Padayachee set up the Advice Desk for the Abused in 1986 with judge Navi Pillay, former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
Under Padayachee’s leadership, the body became widely recognised for its work and has trained police, social workers and NGO employees, and provided crisis intervention for more than a million women. The non-profit provides counselling telephonically or on site for women (in the majority) based on alleged human rights violations.
Padayachee was the first South African black woman to obtain a PhD in the field of criminology and her dissertation on domestic violence was used extensively as a source guide for the promulgation of the Domestic Violence Act.
She developed and designed three training manuals and training programmes in the area of domestic violence.
Apart from her gender-based violence work, Padayachee was involved in management, teaching and research at universities for more than three decades.
After her long stint as a senior lecturer in criminology at the former University of Durban-Westville (UDW), she continued an illustrious career, being appointed as deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at the ML Sultan Technikon, now the Durban University of Technology (DUT), from 1998-2002 and acting vice-chancellor from 2001-2003.
Padayachee contributed to establishing entrepreneurship and skills programmes for universities and TVET colleges and a SAQA-accredited programme in waste management.
She also helped establish electronic waste plants at six universities.
Padayachee was a leading figure in academic and research-based communication among respected South African and Dutch senior research and academic staff in the discussion, planning, designing and implementation of the SA-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD). After the final agreement on the initiative, she was elected as CEO.
SANPAD was a programme that fostered co-operation between South African and Dutch researchers and funded high-quality research relevant to development. Among its pioneering initiatives, the most important were the research projects that focused on poverty reduction.
Padayachee became CEO of the Technological Higher Education Network SA (THENSA) in March 2016. She strongly believed the future of South Africa lay in the hands of educated youth.
Padayachee leaves behind her husband and children.
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