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02 August 2021 | Story Dr Cindé Greyling | Photo Supplied
A woman of impact, quality and care - Dr Lentsu Nchabeleng.

Dr Lentsu Nchabeleng currently serves as the Deputy Director in the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office within the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the University of the Free State (UFS). She manages the functions of the office to deliver high-quality services that advance gender equality and anti-discrimination based on human-rights principles.

What is the best thing about your job?
To bring about positive change by using collective individualism to make a collective impact on the university community. This includes recognising diverse views that fall outside the norm to solve issues relating to gender inequality. Thus, every engagement and response that takes place can help create change.

What is the best and worst decision you have ever made?
The best decision I have ever made was to listen to my inner voice and tuning into the wisdom of my body. The worst decision I have ever made was to negotiate my worth and value, which at that particular moment I thought were synonymous.

What was/is the biggest challenge of your career?
There are so many challenges. I don’t know where to begin.

What does the word woman mean to you?
Being a woman, to me, means a lot of things. It means being a force to be reckoned with. The embodiment of resilience, courage, and love.

Which woman inspires you, and why?
My mother inspires me. She’s an inadvertent feminist. I feel connected to more women through her because of her ability to visibilise the presence of women in all spheres of life. She carries her identities – mom, sister, wife, teacher, friend, grandmother, gardener, leader, listener – with so much ease and I admire her for that.

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?
Other people’s perception of you ain’t none of your business.

What is the one self-care thing that you do? 
Watering my roses helps me relax and recharge. I have recently learned the importance of silence and it’s benefits to the mind and body. I usually take 15 minutes every day to sit in stillness and self-reflect. This helps me to delve deeper into my value system and needs, which helps activate myself and social awareness.

What makes you a woman of quality, impact, and care?
I would say that my ability to be vulnerable, to accept my weaknesses, my strong sense of independence and speaking my truth, makes me a woman of quality, impact, and care.
 
 


I cannot live without … my family.
My secret weapon is … it will not be a secret weapon if I reveal it …
I always have … a bottle of water.
I will never … take my life for granted. 
I hope … to see the end of the gender pay gap.

News Archive

UFS prides itself on Pauline Gutter
2014-12-04

Pauline Gutter

Her work can be described as a visual attack of marks and colour, and the purposeful application of layering and interweaving of layers that gives the identity of continuous flux and ideological migration.  Her work highlights the ‘removal’ of the farming community from their land. A review of a recent exhibition described her themes as: “A struggle for survival prevails in the dangerous world that is projected to us in the paintings …”

Gutter is not just a top professional artist, but also a well-known brand. True to her roots, her work often mirrors a passion for the farming community. In 2013, she won the ABSA L’Atelier prize of R125 000, as well as a half year’s stay in the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. 

This art competition is South Africa’s most prestigious art competition and is held annually for artists between ages 21 and 35. This award not only ensures South Africa’s emerging artists of recognition, but also affords them the opportunity to develop their talents abroad.

The UFS is very proud of breeding this class of artist. According to Gutter, her lecturers allowed them space to work on their own identities. Her work has now moved far from simply being portraits and sculptures, it also makes an impact on those who see it.

As a student, Gutter was involved in many community projects at her residence. In 2003 she was one of the two managers of the Dithwele waste sculpture park competition, an initiative of SAB. She is a diverse artist who has worked on KYKNET productions as co-worker and assistant. Gutter also does freelance camera work.

Furthermore, Gutter was on the Mail & Guardian’s list of top 200 young South Africans, an annual list that has become the premier collection of the leaders of tomorrow – and in many cases, today. She also received the Helgaard Steyn prize and was a finalist in the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition.

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