Rachel Sandwell, an assistant professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the Joel Gregory Book Prize by the Canadian Association of African Studies for her 2025 monograph, which examines the contribution of women to South Africa’s liberation movements while in exile.
Research focus and significance
The book, published by Ohio University Press in 2025 and titled National Liberation and the Political Life of Exile: Sex, Gender, and Nation in the Struggle against Apartheid, explores how women operating outside South Africa between 1960 and 1990 participated in and shaped political debates within the African National Congress (ANC) and other organisations. The work foregrounds how women influenced discussions about the kind of society the liberation movements aspired to build.
"a future where men and women, Black and white, were equal and liberated to live well,"
The author draws on archival sources and oral testimony to show that women in exile were not peripheral to political life but central to conversations about gender, national identity and post‑apartheid futures. The prize recognises outstanding scholarship on African studies and signals international recognition of work produced by Sandwell and the institutions supporting her research.
Local impact and context
For Sandwell and for local higher education in Sandwell, the award underscores the global reach of research led by academics working in the borough. The subject matter — the political role of women in struggles against racial oppression — carries continued resonance, feeding into contemporary debates about equality, representation and how histories of resistance are told.
- Prize: Joel Gregory Book Prize, Canadian Association of African Studies
- Book: National Liberation and the Political Life of Exile (Ohio University Press, 2025)
- Focus period: 1960–1990; role of women in exile and within the ANC
Why the book matters
By unpacking the dynamics of exile politics, Sandwell’s study challenges assumptions that gender issues were secondary to national liberation projects. It documents how women helped define who was included in visions of a post‑apartheid nation and how those debates shaped organisational positions and policy aspirations.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Awarding body | Canadian Association of African Studies |
| Author | Rachel Sandwell |
| Publication | Ohio University Press, 2025 |
| Period studied | 1960–1990 |
Readers interested in the history of the anti‑apartheid movement, gendered political activism or exile politics will find the book a significant contribution to the field. The prize should also draw attention to the quality of humanities research being carried out locally and its capacity to inform wider public conversation about the past and its continuing legacies.
