By Dave DeFusco
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, the world’s most pressing conversations on gender equality unfolded during the recent 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. For Tanaka Tachiveyi, a student in the Katz School’s M.S. in Digital Marketing and Media, participating in the conference had a clear purpose: to help ensure that voices too often overlooked are not only heard, but shape the conversations that matter.
“I was motivated by my ongoing work in volunteering and supporting marginalized communities,” said Tachiveyi.
The conference, held in March, brought together government delegates, NGOs and advocates from around the world to address the theme of financing for gender equality. As one of the most significant global platforms shaping policy on women’s rights, it offered Tachiveyi a rare opportunity to engage directly with the systems she had previously studied from a distance.
“As student volunteers, we were assigned to different panels across the week covering themes like women’s access to justice, gender-based violence and the rights of immigrant women,” she said. “Being in those rooms, not just as observers but as part of the process, was both a privilege and a learning experience.”
For Tachiveyi, whose academic journey began in South Africa with a law degree from the University of Witwatersrand and later a master of laws in international trade law from Stellenbosch University, the discussions at the conference resonated deeply.
“My legal training helped me move beyond listening to analyzing,” she said. “I started to understand how policy is shaped through these conversations. They often reveal gaps between what policies aim to achieve and what happens in reality.”
One moment that stood out came during discussions on immigrant women’s rights. “What stayed with me most were the stories about immigrant women crossing the Darién Gap,” she said. “It reminded me of similar situations back home, where women cross into South Africa from Zimbabwe under dangerous conditions. In both cases, women face serious risks, including violence and exploitation.”
Those parallels reinforced the global nature of the challenges being addressed at the conference. “I saw that these are not isolated issues, but global patterns,” she said. “It also highlighted the need for stronger intervention, especially in addressing root causes like economic instability and corruption.”
The conference’s focus on financing for gender equality also bridged her past and present studies. “The theme made me think about the gap between global commitments and what actually happens on the ground,” said Tachiveyi. “From a legal perspective, I understand how these systems are designed, but also where they break down. From a marketing perspective, I see how visibility shapes what gets funded and prioritized.”
That intersection—between policy, communication and impact—has become central to her work at the Katz School, where she serves as a graduate assistant in social media marketing and communications. Managing digital content and student engagement, she now approaches her role with renewed intention.
“The conference made me more intentional about the content I create. I now focus on communicating messages that are not just informative, but meaningful,” she said. “It pushed me to highlight real experiences and connect with audiences on a deeper level.”
