Meet our 2023 South African Women in Science Awards finalists
Prof. Floretta Avril Boonzaier
Floretta Avril Boonzaier is a full professor of psychology and the Co-Director of The Hub for Decolonial Feminist Psychology in Africa at UCT. She formally established the hub in 2018, where she continues to lead important transdisciplinary studies shaping the field locally and internationally. Prof. Boonzaier is also the President of the Psychological Society of South Africa. Boonzaier's research focus is on gendered and sexual violence, identity, and decolonial feminist psychology – areas in which she has gained an international reputation as a leading scholar. Her research findings have contributed to advancing gender equality through explorations of best practices in working with men to end violence against women; working in partnership with organisations in the gender-based violence sector; and developing conceptual models to drive policy and practice in the sector.
With an NRF C1 rating (currently being re-evaluated), Boonzaier is the author of around 70 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in leading international journals such as The British Journal of Criminology, Violence Against Women, and Current Sociology. She is a psychological research scientist registered with the Psychological Society of South Africa. She has delivered keynote addresses for international audiences and has received several national and international scientific awards, which include fellowships to Harvard University in 2009 and 2015. In 2010, Boonzaier was the runner-up in the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) for Distinguished Young Woman Scientist in the Social Sciences and Humanities category. Over her career, Boonzaier has played an important role in growing the next generation of scholars through capacity development of students and other researchers, successfully mentoring three postdoctoral fellows and supervising to completion nine PhD and 30 master's students. She has attracted international doctoral students to study in South Africa specifically to work under her supervision and mentorship. She also serves as a regional doctoral mentor for the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Boonzaier has served as editor for the journal Psychology in Society and is currently an associate editor for the South African Journal of Science. Using her professional expertise to be of service to the community, she has served on the board of Resources Aimed and the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and the Mosaic Training, Service and Healing Centre for Women.
Boonzaier has been invited for numerous media, film and other interviews to speak on the topic of advancing gender equality through ending gender-based violence. Alongside this work, she has worked with the Office of the Presidency to take the lead in producing a report that articulates what a decolonial feminist approach to violence against women and girls in Africa should look like. The report will be used in the development of policy briefs and for shaping funding, policy and other agendas in the sector – both nationally and regionally.
