As an arm of the UN dealing with women's reproductive rights, the UNFPA has recently tapped former Miss SA Shudufhadzo Musida as its Global Champion for Women and Girls.
The mental health activist is set to help observe the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation by launching a UNFPA campaign titled Patterns of Hope — inside the movement to end female genital mutilation. The focus will be on ending the harmful practice endured by more than 200-million women and girls worldwide.
“I am incredibly honoured to continue advancing UNFPA’s mandate, especially as it faces concerted opposition around the world,” said Musida.
Hailing from a village in Limpopo, Musida's upbringing instilled a deep understanding of the injustices women and girls face worldwide. She is now bringing these experiences to the Ivy League through her enrolment in Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she is pursuing a master’s degree. Here are five interesting facts about Musida's strides as a pageant queen and activist.
1. SHUDU THE SINGING STAR
In a previous report by TimesLIVE, Musida shared that she had always dreamed of a career in the music industry.
“I wanted to be Beyoncé,” she said. “When I was in primary school I performed all the time. My grandmother would take me to church just to let me sing.”
She also performed in the second season of Masked Singer SA as the Blue Crane.
2. TOMBOY TURNED PAGEANT QUEEN
Before her chase for the many crowns she's worn, Musida's personal style was anything but glamorous. When Musida moved to a new school at the age of nine, her bubbly personality took a knock due to the bullying she faced. To avoid bringing any attention to herself and blend in, she attempted to avert people's attention by dressing more like a boy.
“It got to the point where I thought if I covered up and didn’t draw too much attention to myself, maybe it would stop. I developed low self-esteem and it took me a long time to realise that it was actually never about me but about the people who were doing the bullying,” she told SADAG.
3. PICASSO OF SOUTH AFRICA
One of Musida's lesser-known talents is painting. Speaking to the Sowetan, Musida shared that she's quite fond of African-inspired art and her last painting was an ode to her grandmother and her church, the Zion Christian Church (ZCC).
4. BALD PIONEER
“I'm going bald, this is the look” were the words Musida took to the Miss World pageant. During the lockdown, Musida said she had her hair shaved for convenience but it also coincided with the eventual dates she entered Miss SA.
5. NO MORE BLUE MONDAYS
Crowned as Miss South Africa in 2020, Musida leveraged her platform to mobilise awareness and action on gender equity and mental health, notably via her Mindful Mondays programme, which reached more than 1-million weekly viewers.
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