Mickey Meji (Nomonde Mihlali Meji) is a formidable and visionary CESE Africa leader, who is relentless in her efforts to abolish the system of prostitution on the African continent. Her ability to skillfully connect with changemakers, her embrace of those who have been scarred by the sex trade, and her ability to powerfully speak truth about sexual commodification, are critical in paving the way towards irreversible freedom from sexual abuse and exploitation in Africa!
For this reason, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation presents Mickey with the Advancing Freedom Award.
Mickey Meji is a South African survivor of the sex trade and leading women’s rights activist and advocate in South Africa.
Mickey fights every day to lift up survivors and to shape policy to combat commercial sexual exploitation. In collaboration with other survivors, Mickey has formed the first ever survivor movement in Africa and founded the Survivor Empowerment & Support Programme, in addition to being a key strategic leader in CESE Africa (a loose-knit coalition birthed from the 2021 CESE Global Summit which works to address all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse).
Mickey is a credit not only to women in South Africa, but she represents the plight of women trapped in the systems of prostitution, and those who survived it, globally. Her continued efforts are essential to ensuring that survivors’ march to irreversible freedom is uninterrupted.
Mickey has presented at both national and international conferences including the 5th South African AIDS Conference, as well as presenting the findings of her own research at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).
She has experience in speaking and writing for traditional media and social media, representing an advocacy strategy to change legislation and behavior in this aspect of human rights.
Mickey has sat as a representative on national, regional and international policy making bodies and spaces including the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegation (Africa Delegate) and the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) as Sector Leader. She has also represented and presented at national, regional and international conferences.
Despite the heaviness of the work that Mickey plows through daily, those who know her speak caringly about Mickey’s rejuvenating sense of humor and her unrelenting love for her two daughters and teen son. Mickey’s aversion for pornography and any conduits that commodify women and children is also an uncompromising theme that is woven into her conversations with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Mickey Meji received the Advancing Freedom Award at the #CESESummit for her relentless efforts to abolish the system of prostitution on the African continent. Share on XIn honoring Mickey, if you are working in African nations and want to join the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Africa, please fill out this short form.
You will be surrounded by incredible changemakers, like Mickey, who will walk beside you as you intentionally slant into every opportunity, every victory, and every adversity that comes your way, and celebrate knowing that your contribution to Advancing Freedom is unmissable. If this is something that prompts you, please do reach out to join!
