Review by Cynthia Kros
University of the Witwatersrand
Historia 59, 1, May 2014

Making the world their own again in a new era?

There must be a reason that there are so many powerful women in politics in South Africa, although recently – with the notable exception of the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela – some of them have made a negative impression on the media and the public. Even then their prominence and a confidence that sometimes seems out of proportion to their real achievements are in need of an explanation, especially in a country where women’s rights have not advanced much beyond rhetoric.