ABSTRACT
One of the major research questions of this volume asks: How does a country that has been engaged in civil conflict (e.g., ethnic, religious, nationalist, etc.) come together and rebuild once the conflict ends? At a time when there seems to be a proliferation of civil conflicts this is not an insignificant question. South Africa was formally subjected to apartheid from 1948 until 1994, although the policy was introduced far earlier, going back to the country’s colonial history. Thus, it was a deeply divided country for decades if not centuries. The election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 as the country’s first black president heralded the start of a new era for that country. But there was a lot of work to be done if the country was to address its past and move forward as a united society. That was especially true regarding women of all colors.
