Erna van der Westhuizen (42), from South Africa, is pursuing a PhD in global health (disability and rehabilitation) at Stellenbosch University. Her research focuses on solutions to elevate the voice of rights holders from marginalized groups. Her studies are influenced by more than 20 years of experience working in rural communities across South Africa and Africa. Erna has worked in various sectors, including local government, faith communities, higher education, social enterprises, and NGOs.
A career highlight was establishing a network for parents of children with disabilities across South Africa to address the disownment of voice through capacity building, as well as building referral pathways and a policy monitoring tool. These innovations have been recognized by the World Justice Forum and the Zero Project. This work was inspired by the belief that policy implementation, often intermittent, requires targeted, coordinated interventions driven by rights holders themselves. Further, Erna believes solutions are needed to address the complexity of policy and legal frameworks, and that past experiences of disempowerment should be promoted by a deficit-based approach.
Erna hopes to expand her work to other marginalized groups to influence the commitment to social justice in South Africa as one way to restore social cohesion and invest in the lives of vulnerable people. Her goal is to finish her PhD in 2024 and explore further expansions through her networks including, among others, her fellowship with the Atlantic Institute.
