Image of The South African Women's Movement: The Roles of Feminism and Multiracial Cooperation in the Struggle for Women's Rights

Feminist Studies

The South African Women's Movement: The Roles of Feminism and Multiracial Cooperation in the Struggle for Women's Rights

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In the historiography of South Africa’s recent past, focus has been most heavily placed
on apartheid and the anti-apartheid movement, with much emphasis placed on male involvement
and men as the primary agents of change in the country. Women are largely viewed as playing a
supportive role to male activists throughout the movement, and far less has been written on
female involvement or women’s activism in its own right. Running parallel to the anti-apartheid
movement, however, was a women’s movement characterized by women across the racial and
socioeconomic spectrum struggling to secure their own rights in a very hostile and patriarchal
political climate. The struggle of these women for their country but also for their own political
rights has been largely overlooked in the existing narratives regarding South African history, as
it has been overshadowed by the greater independence movement. By utilizing previously
unused or undervalued sources including an array of oral histories as well as South African
newspapers and organizational materials from important groups such as the Black Sash, I intend
to show how influential South African women were on legislation passed under and immediately
following apartheid, as well as their impact on the broader national struggle. I will also highlight
the many formal and informal ways that these women carved out their own spaces, and the
moments when their efforts transcended racial and class lines in an effort to build a brighter
future for all South African women.

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Publication Information
: Journal of International Women\'s Studies.,
Number of Pages
-
ISBN
-
Language
English
ISSN
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/et
Subject(s)
South Africa
Women's rights
Feminism
Activism
Apartheid
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Type
Article
Part Of Series
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