Johannesburg - Miss South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida has been recognised by the UN and Glamour magazine for her immense contribution to eliminating the stigma attached to issues of mental health.
The beauty queen’s basic aim has always been to shed light on perspectives about mental health, while eliminating the stigma surrounding it and further giving people a platform to communicate.
Her first accolade came when she was invited by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to serve as its “Regional Champion”.
The UNFPA’s Lydia Zigomo, regional director for East and Southern Africa, said Musida’s advocacy for mental health awareness, something she devoted the year of her reign to, would see her empower young women and girls in the region, especially in the areas of sexual and reproductive health.
In accepting the position, Musida described the intersection between the trauma experienced by women who do not have control over their bodies and mental illness.
During her stint as regional champion, she intends to let women and girls know that gender-based violence, rape, unwanted pregnancies and challenges around their reproductive health are not something they have to live with.
Zigomo explained Musida’s role: “She will address the challenges that surround mental health. Misunderstood, stigmatised, and often left untreated, mental health has become a crisis.”
UNFPA is at the forefront of “Healing When Crisis Strikes,” providing lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services and integrating services for gender-based violence, mental health and psychosocial support.
In the same week, Musida was given the coveted cover for two issues of the magazine, which chose her as the Glamour Woman of the Year 2022 (WOTY) in the Mental Health Game-changer category.
Glamour editor-in-chief, Nontando Mposo, said the beauty queen was being recognised for her work and dedication in educating and shining a spotlight on mental health through her initiative “Mindful Mondays”, which provided education and information around mental health wellness.
Miss SA 2020’s successful reign included her writing a book, “SShudu Finds Her Magic,” which unpacked how she was bullied as a child.
Speaking about her accolades, she said: “I’m overwhelmed by the accolades that have been bestowed on me. The one thing that I am happy about is that this acknowledgement is proof that my work in the mental health space is not going unnoticed. The more we can get the word out there, the better it is all around. I am so happy to receive this attention because it means mental health is getting a voice.”
The Star