Dr. Lucy Khofi Wins 2026 Paula Kantor Award

We are pleased to name Dr. Lucy Khofi as the 2026 Recipient of our Paula Kantor Award.

The award honors the legacy of Dr. Paula Kantor, a former ICRW researcher who was tragically killed in 2015 while working in Afghanistan. Dr. Kantor was a leading expert on gender issues, with nearly two decades of experience in policy and program research. She was driven by her passion to improve the lives of women and girls.

Dr. Khofi is a medical anthropologist, public health researcher, interdisciplinary scholar, and gender justice activist whose work reflects the values Dr. Kantor championed. She bridges academia, policy, and community practice, producing research that fosters a holistic understanding of complex social challenges.

Her work examines how interconnected structural inequalities shape the health, dignity, and everyday lives of women, girls, and marginalized communities. Her scholarship sits at the intersection of gender, migration, food insecurity, sexual and reproductive health and rights, climate justice, and health systems.

Dr. Khofi views research as a collaborative practice through which communities, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers co-produce responses to some of the most pressing gender and health inequalities facing society today.

Beyond academia, her work has informed policy dialogue, public education, advocacy, and community-led interventions that contribute to more equitable systems. She is also the founder of Women’s Health Ekklēsia, a community-focused initiative that advances women’s health, dignity, and empowerment through education, advocacy, faith engagement, and practical support.

Dr. Khofi holds a joint PhD in Public Health and Medical Anthropology from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Amsterdam. She has an MA in Medical Anthropology, a BA in Psychology, and a BA in Psychology and Management from the University of Witwatersrand.

SELECT HIGHLIGHTS OF DR. KHOFI’S WORK:

• Khofi, L., Kaunda-Khangamwa, B. N., Maxela, A., Ragus, E., & Mpandeli, S. (2026). Silent scars in the water–energy–food nexus: How resource insecurity shapes women’s mental and reproductive health in South Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(2), 187.
• Khofi, L. (2026). The social and affective dimensions of food insecurity: Ethnographic insights into hunger, distress, and well-being in South Africa. SSM—Qualitative Research in Health, 100807.
• Khofi, L. (2026). Cornered and criminalised: Reproductive injustice, violence, and women’s survival strategies in Lorentzville, Johannesburg. African Journal of Social Work, 16(1), 6.
• Khofi, L., Manderson, L., & Moyer, E. (2025). Food insecurity, intimate partner violence, and barriers to sexual and reproductive health care among women in Lorentzville, South Africa. Social Science & Medicine, 369, 117785.
• Khofi, L., Manderson, L., Reid, M., & Moyer, E. (2025). A review of the social and local dynamics in South Africa’s water–energy–food nexus. Journal of Environmental Management, 380, 124938.
• Khofi, L., Moyer, E., Bezuidenhout, A., & Manderson, L. (2025). Strengthening community ties in South Africa: Tackling food insecurity and structural challenges through community-led initiatives. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 100315.
• Khofi, L., Rucell, J., & Matandela, M. (2025). Abortion providers as human rights defenders: Policy priorities for South Africa. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 7, 1727085.
• Khofi, L. (2025). Sacred silence and the courage to speak: A young woman’s reflection on faith leadership and violence against women. Sexual Violence Research Initiative.
• Khofi, L., Manderson, L., & Moyer, E. (2024). Speaking of hunger: Food shortages, poverty and community assistance in urban South Africa. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 63(4), 323–342.
• Khofi, L. (2024). Period poverty is a continuing global challenge. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(11), 2070–2071.