Gertrude was a founding member of many women’s organisations, including the Gender Advocacy Programme and Women's Education & Artistic Voice Expression (WEAVE). She served on the board of eight non-governmental organisations, all of which promoted education and women’s rights. She has held some positions in over thirty organisations altogether. Although she was a key member of the anti-apartheid movement, serving in many different roles in many different organisations, her major role as an activist has focused on education.