Thato Mphuthi

She/Her

Is a disability justice advocate and health equity practitioner based in Soweto, South Africa. Her work sits at the intersection of disability rights, gender, and public health, with a strong focus on advancing inclusive, rights-based approaches to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and social development. She is the Founder and Director of Enabled Enlightenment NPC, a community-based organisation dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers that exclude persons with disabilities from equitable and dignified care. She holds a qualification in Business Analysis Support Practice, which informs her systems-thinking and evidence-driven approach to advocacy. Her expertise includes research support, needs analysis, stakeholder engagement, and programme design, enabling her to translate lived experiences into actionable insights that strengthen community-led advocacy, service delivery, and policy engagement. She currently leads the Inclusive Health Project, a community-driven research initiative implemented in partnership with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities. The project documents barriers to SRHR and broader health services, including access challenges, provider attitudes, information gaps, and systemic exclusion within public health systems. This work contributes to advancing disability-inclusive responses grounded in dignity, bodily autonomy, and accountability. Beyond her organisational leadership, she is an experienced speaker and facilitator who engages across civil society, academic, and public platforms. Her advocacy explores themes of active citizenship, unpaid care work, dignified employment, leadership, and disabled motherhood. Her work is guided by a vision of a socially just world where systems are designed with, not for, those most affected by exclusion, and where dignity, equity, and full participation are realised for all.