Book of South African - Book of Women - Mail & Guardian

the Mail & Guardian Book of South
African Women was launched
seven years ago as a tribute to
women at the top of their fields.
It was a little black book featuring
some of the best and brightest women
in the country — a testament, a guide,
a marker of their great achievements, of
what could be done. It served its purpose
throughout the years, showcasing women
leaders with brief profiles and contact
details as a way of putting women in the
front and centre of all society’s domains,
from the private to the public sector as well
as in civil society.
The book has evolved in the past few
years. Our design improved, we added
longer profiles, introduced essays and
sourced more beautiful photographs. But
despite those changes we sensed that
something was missing. The women who
were leading the country tended, with a
few exceptions, to be the same women
we recognised year in and year out. These
women had made their mark — there was
no denying that — and the Book of South
African Women was there to acknowledge
their great strides. But we thought it was
time to take a detour, to celebrate ordinary
women doing extraordinary things.
They weren’t hard to find. They were
right here, in our offices, our communities,
our cities, our rural areas. They were
running crèches, big and small businesses
and health centres. They were creating art,
performing theatre, educating themselves
and uplifting those around them.
With the help of readers’ nominations
and our research team we compiled a
staggering list of women who achieve
the impossible, frequently with few or no
resources, just a dream of what might be
done. Then we had to whittle down our
list carefully so we could present to you a
well-crafted book that offers a glimpse of
some of the most inspiring women in our
country: raw, unplugged and beautiful in all
their glory.
Celebrated portrait photographer Sally
Shorkend worked with designer Marcelle
de Villiers-Louw and our all-woman team of
researchers, editors and writers to create a
brand-new look and direction for the 2012
Book of South African Women. We hope you
love it as much as we do.
Tanya Pampalone
Editor, Book of South African Women
editor’s letter
Book of South AfrICAn women 2012 3