This week on Womanity – Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Meagan Chauke-Adonis, who is a Member of Parliament representing the African National Congress (ANC). She serves on the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; and Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies.

Ms. Chauke-Adonis shares her compelling journey into politics and activism, highlighting the transformative life experiences that shaped her purpose and drive to advocate for a more inclusive society. At just 23, Ms. Chauke-Adonis was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which led to blindness. This life-changing event pushed her to reevaluate her purpose and ignited her passion for advocacy. She discusses how she channelled this challenge into an opportunity to create meaningful change, particularly for persons with disabilities and marginalized groups. Her focus is clear: dismantling barriers of discrimination and exclusion to build a future where equity and inclusion are the norm.

Ms. Chauke-Adonis shares her passion for technology and innovation, which propelled her into the entrepreneurial space. As a 2021 Global Young Innovator, she developed solutions to enhance accessibility, including applications that enable real-time document editing and interaction. Her ambition extends to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that transformative technologies are affordable and accessible, especially for women and persons with disabilities. As a member of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Ms. Chauke-Adonis explores the department’s mandate to enable South Africa’s digital transformation. She highlights how digital technologies can be leveraged to advance accessibility and inclusion, allowing persons with disabilities to live independently and empowering people with access to information and opportunities.

Beyond her political and technological pursuits, Ms. Chauke-Adonis advocates for greater representation of persons with disabilities in leadership roles. She aims to destigmatize disability, emphasizing that with an enabling environment, people with disabilities can thrive, lead, and contribute to national development. Her mentor’s powerful words resonate: “Disability is not about physical attributes; it’s about how society disables you from opportunities, your environment, and your rights.” She passionately asserts that disability is a human rights issue.

From the 3rd of November to 3rd December (International Day of Persons with Disabilities), South Africa celebrates National Disability Rights Awareness Month. This is a period for people to be cognisant of lifting impediments and improving the quality of life of people with disabilities for a more equitable society.

Tune in for more.