South African Women in Dialogue is an independent South African women’s platform committed to hearing the voice of every woman and to improving the status of women by engaging national government, the private sector, civil society, (including non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, and donors) in partnership to shape community, provincial and continental agendas. SAWID is currently chaired by education and gender activist, Thoko Mpumlwana. With education degrees from the University of South Africa and the University of Natal to her credit, she also holds an MA in the fields of Curriculum Development and Teacher Education by Michigan State University in the United States. Her professional career has focused largely on teaching and related areas. Church and NGO involvement in the 1980s succeeded her student activities of the 1970s, where her chief interests were issues affecting the black community and women. She carried these interests into her formal school teaching career, between 1983 to 1994.