ABSTRACT
South Africa's 1994 democracy motivated applause by a global audience. Redressing past social imbalances placed race and gender at the forefront of democratization. At the public level, we see these transformative victories through a revolutionary human rights based Constitution, one-third representation of women in national government, a model Truth and Reconciliation Commission process, and impressive policies adopted to engender social equality "on the ground." Yet the picture of democracy from home-where distinct gender imbalances prevail-illustrates the sharp contrast between these public victories and the lived realities of the majority of South Africans.
