Staff Profiles

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Arts & Social Sciences (Gender & Cultural Studies)
• Master of Education (Gender Studies)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
• Bachelor of Arts (Humanities)
• Certificate - Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion In The Workplace

Dr. Portia Loeto is a Gender Studies Lecturer, Consultant, and Researcher at the University of Botswana. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Gender and Cultural Studies from the University of Sydney, Australia. Her professional and research experiences encompass the broad interdisciplinary areas of Gender and Feminist Studies, Cultural Studies, and Teacher Education Studies. As an academic, Dr. Loeto's pedagogical philosophy emphasises the cultivation and mentorship of well-rounded educators and professionals who will advocate for feminist, intersectional, inclusive, and anti-oppressive education within educational and professional settings. In the academic year 2025-2026, Dr. Loeto has been awarded a residential Post-Doctoral Fellowship through the African Futures Research Leadership Program under the auspices of the African Alliance Partnership (AAP). This fellowship is hosted at the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) at Michigan State University (MSU), where she will deliver public lectures and engage in collaborative research with interdisciplinary scholars across the campus, focusing on the critical issues of Rape and Femicide in Botswana.  

Gender and Cultural Studies

Gender in Education

Gender & Sexual Diversity

Rape & Femicide

Race & Colorism

Gender Studies

Feminist Studies

Cultural Studies

Gender in Education

• Loeto, P.T (Book Chapter in Press): Light/Fair Skin as Beautiful: The Lingering Colonial Violation of Black Identity in Botswana.
• Loeto, P.T. (2024). Gender analysis for communities in the NG8 controlled hunting area (Western Ngamiland) - Habu, Tubu & Nokaneng. Botswana. Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of The United Nations.
• Loeto, P.T. (2024). Using visual sources to understand African Black Beauty. In Interrogating Colonial Documents and Narratives. Marlborough: AM.
• Loeto, P.T. (2016). Making education safe for women & girls in Africa. BUWA! Transformative Education—The Africa we need by 2030: The Journal on African Women’s Experiences, 7, 112-116. https://issuu.com/osisa/docs/buwa-issue-7
• Loeto, P.T. (2013). Notions of beauty and attractiveness. BUWA! Feminism and Culture: A Journal on African Women’s Experiences, 2(2), 53-57.
• Loeto, P.T. and Mmereki, D. (2012). Household perceptions on solid waste management practices in developing countries: the experience of the northern part of Botswana, Donga Area. Environmental Research Journal, 6 (4), 246-253.