In Search of Equality (Paperback)  | Released: 01 Jul 2014

Just over 50 years ago, several African countries drew up new constitutions that included additions such as the Protocol on the Rights of Women. Decades later, has constitutional reform brought gender equality to women in Africa? And what does gender equality mean in the everyday lives of women on the continent? The contributors to this volume provide insights into women's rights in seven African countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. Each looks at the causes, context, and consequences of the struggle to uphold women's rights. Their case studies illustrate property-grabbing in Malawi, women's citizenship in Nigeria, and the rise of hate crimes and sexual violence against black lesbians in South Africa, among other issues.About the Author: Stefanie Rohrs obtained a master of public health degree from the University of Cape Town, where she worked as a senior researcher at the interdisciplinary Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit. She currently works at the Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health at Charite--Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Germany, and continues to be a research associate of the Centre for Law and Society in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. Dee Smythe is the Director of the Centre for Law and Society in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Law. She is a coauthor of "Commentary on the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007" and" Should We Consent? The Politics of Rape Law Reform in South Africa." Annie Hsieh is a federal prosecutor and attorney for the United States government. She previously served as a NATO legal adviser to the Afghan government and editor in chief of the "Stanford Journal of International Law." Her previous projects include cowriting a legal textbook for Bhutan, reviewing mining and natural resource legislation in Malawi, and founding a project aimed at addressing youth unemployment in Kenya. Monica de Souza is a researcher at the University of Cape Town's Centre for Law and Society. She has worked extensively on the law relating to sexual offences, and has published on this topic. She currently conducts legal research for the Centre's Rural Women's Action Research Programme, where her focus is on customary marriages and traditional authorities.