Thokozile Budaza, 25, is a youth, gender and HIV/AIDS activist currently working for the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, serves on the board of Sonke Gender Justice and also works as a consultant to EngenderHealth on the implementation of the Men as Partners Network.  She is also a member of the youth coalition for sexual and reproductive rights and  Mexico City YouthForce (MYF), an international network of young people, adult allies and organizations involved in HIV/AIDS programs who seek to increase the involvement of youth, to build youth leadership, and to increase the visibility of youth issues before, during, and after the International AIDS Conference of 2008 (IAC 2008).She joined the fight against gender based violence and HIV/AIDS in 2003 while studying towards her B.Sc. degree at the University of the Western Cape where she was an HIV/AIDS peer educator and a member of the Men as Partners Network. She has since worked for a number of International organizations including The Global call to Action Against Poverty, CIVICUS, Action Aid and Engender Health. She has dedicated her life to change and improve the lives of women and children in South Africa.  In recognition of her courageous activism on 25 November 2006, Women Demand Dignity (WDD) - an advocacy/lobbying group based in Cape Town awarded a White Ribbon Award to Thokozile Budaza for her outstanding work in the area of violence against women and children.