Bafana Khumalo

Bafana Khumalo is Director of Strategic Partnerships at Sonke Gender Justice and is a Co-founder of the organisation. He served as Co-Director of the organisation from 2006-2010 and as Manager of Sonke’s International Programmes Unit and the Policy, Advocacy and Research Unit from 2010-2011. Khumalo has a long and accomplished track record in the NGO sector. He was Senior Gender Technical Advisor for Engender Health South Africa. In that capacity, he worked with the South African National AIDS Council, the National Department of Health, provincial and district AIDS Councils, and the Department of Basic Education to integrate gender into all HIV-related public health strategies and activities, incorporate comprehensive HIV prevention strategies and information into all education-related policies and programmes for schools and communities, and support the South African government and community organisations in quality assessment and improvement of HIV prevention services. Khumalo has served in various capacities on the Commission for Gender Equality where he was instrumental in assisting National and Provincial Departments of Government to plan and coordinate many activities related to men, gender and HIV and AIDS. These included carrying out a series of national dialogues with men on gender equality and gender based violence, working closely with traditional and religious leaders in each of the countries provinces, as well as working with civil society partners to develop the National Gender Machinery Working Group on Men and Gender Equality. Currently, Khumalo chairs the SANAC National Men’s sector which is one of the components of the South African National AIDS Council responsible for providing oversight on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB.