Before joining SAIIA in March 2004, she worked at The Star as a senior reporter, where she focused on the dynamics and changes in South Africa’s education policies. Ms Govender has experience in education and political reporting and has written on women’s and children’s rights, empowerment through education and literacy and the impact of HIV/Aids. She has also worked at the Pretoria News, the South African Press Association (Sapa), Womensnews (an American-based online journal), the South Coast Sun and as a radio correspondent for East Coast Newswatch. Prior to her journalistic career, she studied towards a diploma in journalism at ML Sultan Technikon in Durban.