Dr. Afua Wilcox, PhD is a professional practicing architect and Senior Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. She is also the founder of Youth and Women Up, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting mental health, economic empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health rights for youth and women across the Southern African region. Her research focuses on spatial design and governance in housing, with a particular interest in how these intersect with social equity and spatial development in the region.