Dr Maureen Tong has been a Gender Researcher and Activist since her days as a student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to the present time. She drafted and presented the Sexual Harassment Policy at the National Convention of the South African National Students Congress (SANSCO) in 1991. She was a member of the Women’s Group at the SANSCO, later named (SASCO). This was at the SANSCO/SASCO Branch at the University Durban Westville, now called the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Dr Tong was honoured to be invited by UKZN to deliver the keynote address at women’s day event in August 2018. She is now a Member of the Council of UKZN since 2020.

In 2017 Dr Tong delivered the John Langalibalele Dube Memorial Lecture at UKZN. She used the opportunity to shine a spotlight on Mrs Nokutela Mdima Dube (1873 – 1925), the First wife of Reverend Dr Langalibalele Dube, the first President of the South African National Native Congress (SANNC) the predecessor of the African National Congress (ANC). Mrs Nokutela Mdima Dube is only starting to be known after being erased from history for many years. She supported Reverend Dr John Langalibalele Dube in his work as they established the Ohlange School in Inanda and other development projects. Mrs Nokutela Dube introduced the leadership of the SANNC/ANC to the hymn by Enoch Sontonga entitled Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika by organizing a choir to sing at the launch of the SANNC/ANC in 1912. Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika was adopted as the Anthem of the SANNC/ANC and later by many liberation movements in Africa. It has since been adopted into the national anthems of several African countries at independence.

In 2017 Dr Tong was invited as a speaker at the workshop hosted by peer reviewed Agenda Journal on Feminist Media at UKZN. In 2018 she served as Guest Co-Editor of the Special Edition of the peer reviewed Agenda Journal on Feminist Media titled Land, Violence and Women’s bodies, A luta continua, vitória é certa? Volume 32, 2018 No 117/32.4 2018 Taylor and Francis ISSN 1013 – 0590 (Print) ISSN 2158 – 978 X (Online). Dr Tong supervised the Gender Unit at the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria when she was Deputy Director of the CHR in 2001/2. She was the first COO at the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2002 – 2006, where she supervised the Gender Desk amongst her many responsibilities. She was Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs in 2006/7 where amongst her many responsibilities, she supervised the Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD), a project established by the Ministry to support women in agriculture. Her role as Chief of Staff included coordinating the World Congress of Rural Women hosted by South Africa in 2007.

Dr Tong was appointed in July 2009 to establish the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI), a joint project of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the University of South Africa (Unisa). TMALI is now called the Thabo Mbeki School of Public and International Affairs. The very first public event that TMALI hosted under Dr Tong’s leadership was the International Women’s Day event on 8 March 2010. International Women’s Day has since become one of the signature events for the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and Unisa. TMALI led the way in popularizing the celebration of International Women’s Day in South Africa.

Former First Lady of South Africa, Mrs Zanele Mbeki established the Women’s Development Banking Trust (WDB Trust) in 1992. Dr Maureen Tong worked as Research Manager at the WDB Trust from 2013 – 2014. She continues to work for the WDB Trust on a parttime basis in the role of parttime company secretary.

Dr Tong was honoured when former First Lady, Mrs Zanele Mbeki invited her to accompany her on an official mission to the United States in March 2014 to visit presidential libraries and the United Nations structures and activities on Gender. While in the United States, Dr Maureen Tong accompanied Mrs Zanele Mbeki to attend the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) events at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The trip also served to support the then newly appointed Executive Director of UN Women, Dr Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka as she hosted her first International Women’s Day event on 8 March 2014 in her capacity as Executive Director of UN Women. Dr Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka served as the Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 – 2008.

Inspired by her experience of working for the WDB Trust in 2013/14, Dr Tong joined the Young Women’s Business Network (YWBN) Financial Cooperative, called the YWBN Cooperative Financial Institution (CFI) in 2014. She became First Chairperson of the Board of YWBN CFI in 2015. YWBN CFI has recorded major achievements. On 18 June 2018 the YWBN CFI submitted its application to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to establish the YWBN Mutual Bank as the first black – women majority – owned commercial bank in South Africa. On 9 March 2021 the YWBN CFI received authorization from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to establish the YWBN Mutual Bank. This is the first step of approval when an entity applies to establish a commercial bank in South Africa. On 1 March 2022 the YWBN CFI successfully completed the final step in its application to the Prudential Authority of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) for the Mutual Bank License in terms of the Banks Act (Act 94 of 1990).

Below are some of Dr Maureen Tong’s many speaking engagements on gender and women empowerment