Former Miss SA, Shudufhadzo Musida has been making waves globally and in a recent interview, she has opened up about her experience since moving abroad and what she has been up to lately.
The 28-year-old was recently appointed as the global champion for women and girls by the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and she spoke about how surreal this moment was for her in an interview with Sowetan.
“To have the purpose behind my work recognised in a way that champions women and girls is big. The work I’ve done for the past two years I did with no expectations but mostly with the passion for the people,” she said.
Musida further took to Instagram to announce her new role and what she plans on doing as the United Nations Populations Fund’s Global Champion for Women and Girls.
She wrote on her caption: “As i take on this role, my first campaign is focused on ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a harmful practice that has affected some 230 million women and girls worldwide.
“FGM is an act of violence against women – a violation to their rights, their dignity, and their bodily autonomy,” she added.
She further mentioned that women and girls are still denied the right to make decisions about their bodies in today’s world.
Musida is known for her exceptional work as a mental health awareness advocate and when she was crowned Miss SA in 2020, she spent her reign shining light on mental health awareness.
In her interview, she revealed that when she came back home last year, she ate oxtail, and she cannot wait to eat it again when she comes back in SA.
“I ate oxtail and dombolo (dumplings) from 1947 on Vilakazi Street. Oh, and boerewors rolls. Thinking about it makes me cry. I’ll probably do the same when I’m back home again.” she said.
Musida also mentioned the cultural shock and difference since she moved to New York last year due to academic reasons as she is pursuing her master’s qualification at Columbia University in New York.
“I feel America, New York specifically, is loud just being submerged in a new environment and the cultural differences.
“New York is competitive so there is this constant drive. You don’t need to speak to people to realise that it’s in the air – that constant need to be better all the time,” she said.
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