Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka made an appearance at the Global Citizen NOW conference in New York on Friday.
Mlambo-Ngcuka was UN under-secretary-general and executive director of UN Women from August 2013 to August 2021 and was deputy president of South Africa from 2005 to 2008. TimesLIVE asked her about energy, GBV and a possible return to politics.
Q: What is your message to women around the world?
Dr. M: “I have a message for men, actually. Because we ask a lot from women and women's plates are full. We need men to actually do the right thing to take on the struggle for gender equality, because this whole issue of gender discrimination is a men's mess. We need to see what they do and we need to keep them committed. Leave women alone. They've done everything that they can. Men must take their place in society and be part of building a better future.”
Q: What are you focusing on right now?
Dr. M: “I am concerned about the possibility of leaving poor communities behind because of not being able to use technology, which is what is going to dominate the future.”
Q: Why is South Africa taking so long to embrace renewable energy?
Dr. M: “I really don't know, and I think it is a tragedy if we end up missing out again because we could not be at the right place at the right time. We absolutely need to pick up our boots and do the right thing.”
Q: Will you be entering South African politics again?
Dr. M: “No! I have to develop a constituency in order to do that. And I don't know if I have it right now. That's a difficult one.”
Global Citizen NOW took place over two days with speakers like president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and musician John Legend to raise awareness to stop poverty across the world.
TimesLIVE
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