Women

Margaret Smith was an ichthyologist, painter, musician, museologist and an academic. She illustrated the book Sea Fishes...

Human rights lawyer and underground ANC operative; member of the South African Law Commission; former Member of Parliame...

Wangari Muta Maathai Anchor was a prominent Kenyan environmental and political activist. Maathai is internationally reno...

editor of the Women’s section of the Cape Times

Activist, Zimbabwe liberation leader, writer

Artist

This biography was written by SAHO in collaboration with Artthrob MODUS OPERANDI Jo Ractliffe is a documentary pho...

South African painter and teacher.

Author, community worker and mother.

Member of NUSAS, ANC, SACP and MK, secretary of the United Women's Organisation of the Western Cape (UWO).

 Journalist, a member of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK)

A member of the Liberal Party of South Africa (LPSA), banned by the apartheid government.

Political prisoner, banned person, member of the ANC, ANCWL, FEDSAW, UWCO and SANSCO, Vice Chairperson of UWO and recipi...

Hairdresser, drag queen, District Six cultural icon

Anti-apartheid activist, lobbied for the rights of LGBTQI+ people to be constitutionally recognized

Anti Apartheid activist, member of Black Sash and the Detainees Parents Support Committee (DPSC).

anti-apartheid political activist, founding member of the Black Sash

Academic, writer, Research Fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research, political activist, feminist, queer rights a...

Human rights activist, anti-apartheid activist, member of the ANC, the ANCWL and MK, involved in 1956 Women’s March, 195...

Community activist, anti-apartheid activist, founding member of the UDF, first president of the Uitenhage Women’s Organi...

Former journalist, exposed policeman involved in Steve Biko’s death, ANC member, recipient of the Government’s National ...

Teacher, member of the Communist Party of South Africa, Franchise Action Program and the South African Coloured People’s...

Anti-apartheid activist, Black Sash member, founder of the Donald Woods Foundation, charity campaigner

a member of Habonim, Modern Youth Society; social researcher; worked at the University of Cape Town’s Board of Studies; ...

Anti-apartheid activist, social worker, SSRC and SASM member, one of the student leaders of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, ba...

leader of the Garment Workers Union, convenor of first conference of the Federation of South African Women, prominent ro...

Anti-apartheid activist, gender activist, member of the BCM, SASO, TECON, WIASA, and PETT, banned and house-arrested for...

Trade unionist, member of the SACP, political activist, political prisoner, banned person and exile.

Political activist, banned person, political prisoner, member of the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress, Federation of Sout...

Member of NOW, UDF, ANC and the Central Committee of the SACP. Delegate to the Codesa talks, Deputy Minister of Defence ...

Political activist, political prisoner, imprisoned  during  the Indian Passive Resistance Campaign and the 1952 Campaign...

Lecturer, journalist, author, for her contribution to the struggle for liberation, democracy and human rights, and for w...

nurse, member of the African National Congress (ANC), participated in  the Defiance Campaign 1952 and the  Wom...

A member of South African Congress of Democrats (COD), and the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA)

Radiographer, literacy director of SASO, political prisoner, banned person

Anti-apartheid activist, co-founding member of the BCM, member of SASO, banned for five years, women’s rights activist, ...

Physiotherapist, political prisoner

  Political activist, political prisoner, member of the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress, exiled person, active in the A...

Political activist, political prisoner and nurse. 

  Political prisoner, took part in passive resistance.