Thoughts from the epi(Centre): Interview with Mary Crewe

Abstract

This interview engages Mary Crewe, founding Director of the Centre for the Study of AIDS, now known as the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, at the University of Pretoria, by tapping into her archive, representing a series of active commitments in community and university sites that address a life’s work that is still under construction. Vasu Reddy engages Crewe on her shaping experiences with regard to family, gender arrangements, AIDS, and gender inequalities.

Notes

1 The irony is this is that Mary Crewe believes that biomedics do not fully understand ‘the social’ in terms of addressing HIV and AIDS.

2 In 2015, shortly after moving under the umbrella of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria, the CSA changed its name to the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender to reflect the change in the nature and scope of the work. The CSA&G is now well established and starting to gain national and international recognition, with requests for shared work and collaboration from a number of institutes and universities. The emphasis is now on research, on the links between theory and practice. Educational inclusiveness, advocacy and activism, sexualities and LGBTI issues, social and gender-based justice and sexual citizenship. In 2017 the CSA&G was awarded a large grant (2017–2020) for work to address gender-based justice in Zimbabwe and South Africa and in 2018 (2018 –2020) a grant to work on student access to education, social justice and active citizenship.

3 The CSA was described as the benchmark for HIV programmes at tertiary institutions.

4 See AIDS Review, Bodies Count (2006) by Jonathan Jansen.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vasu Reddy

VASU REDDY is Professor of Sociology and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria. Email: [email protected]

Mary Crewe

MARY CREWE is Director of the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender at the University of Pretoria. Email: [email protected]