The MSU Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen), in collaboration with the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), will be hosting two international scholars this year--Dr. Portia T. Loeto and Dr. Godisang Mookodi, both from University of Botswana--as part of the African Futures Research Leadership Program. 

Dr. Portia T. Loeto (Lecturer in Gender Studies, Department of Education Foundations, University of Botswana) will be visiting Michigan State University (MSU) as GenCen’s 2025-2026 Post Doctoral Fellow. During her fellowship, Loeto will be working with GenCen Co-Director of Global Research Dr. Soma Chaudhuri as well as Dr. Mookodi on a large-scale project that studies the issue of femicide in Botswana in the context of interventions and legal challenges. In addition, during her time at MSU, Dr. Loeto will give public lectures and collaborate with interdisciplinary scholars across campus on topics of mutual interest like rape, femicide, race, and colorism in Botswana.  

“This fellowship is extremely important to me as an early career researcher,” said Loeto about the program. “I must work with seasoned scholars whose guidance and academic generosity will contribute tremendously to my growth.” 

Loeto, who holds a PhD in Gender and Cultural Studies from The University of Sydney and a MEd in Gender Studies from the University of Botswana, will be visiting GenCen from August through December 2025. Her research interests straddle the broad areas of gender studies, cultural studies, and teacher education studies, including Botswana’s legal and police systems and the loopholes that fail victims of gender-based violence. 

Dr. Mookodi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at University of Botswana, will also be visiting MSU in October as GenCen’s Senior Visiting Scholar.  Both Dr. Chaudhuri and Dr. Mookodi will act as senior mentors for Dr. Loeto, and work on mutual collaborative research projects. 

Dr. Chaudhuri and Dr. Loeto are currently working on an edited book, titled Our Bodies Our Terrain: A decolonial queer feminist approach towards understanding the social and legal politics of rape in Africa and Asia, a project that feels especially significant for Loeto. 

“This work is important to me because it is my contribution to the continued fight for women & children to live a safe and dignified life,” Loeto said. "While I look forward to learning, I also look forward to meeting new people [and] making new friends, as well as lasting collaborations beyond the fellowship.” 

The GenCen team looks forward to hosting Drs. Loeto and Mookodi in 2025 and establishing partnerships with the University of Botswana that will continue for years to come.