Ursula Arends worked as a high school teacher and community worker before joining PLAAS in 1999, as Senior Administrator of a range of PLAAS programmes. She holds an MA (Development Studies), a BA Hons (Gender Studies), a Secondary Teachers’ Diploma (UWC), and a Diploma in Adult Education (UCT).

As Administrative Manager she assumes responsibility for the overall management of the administrative and HR functions at PLAAS.

She is deeply concerned about issues related to poverty alleviation, rural development, land reform and gender. Her master’s thesis focused on rural women’s access to and use of land and natural resources in South Africa’s communal areas.