Viviene Taylor is a specialist in comparative social policy, development planning and social and economic development and retired as an emeritus academic from the University of Cape Town. Prof Taylor’s career consists of both national and international development experience. Her post graduate qualifications are in the field of Social Planning and Administration and Social Policy. She has researched and written numerous publications on social policy and development related issues.

Books she authored include “Social Mobilisation: Lessons from the Mass Democratic Movement” (1997), Gender Mainstreaming in Development Planning: A Reference Manual for Governments and other Stakeholders (1999), “Marketisation of Governance: Critical Feminist Perspectives from the South” (2000), Food security in South Africa: Human Rights and Entitlement Perspectives (2015), The Political Economy of Social Welfare Policy in Africa (2018). She undertook a 50 country research study for the African Union on Social Protection in Africa in 2008 and contributed to the Africa Union’s Social Policy Framework for Africa.

She was a Commissioner on the first Commission for Gender Equality in South Africa, served as Adviser to South Africa’s Minister of Social Development, chaired and led the research work on the Committee of Inquiry into Comprehensive Social Security in South Africa during 1999-2002 and also chaired and led the work on the Ministerial Committee on the review of South Africa’s White Paper for Social Welfare. She worked with Professor Amartya Sen, as Deputy Director in a global Commission on Human Security and was based at the United Nations (2001-2003). As a Planning Commissioner she chairs the Work-stream on Enhancing Quality of Life