African Studies affiliate faculty member and Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Professor Amanda Lock Swarr‘s recent book, “Envisioning African Intersex: Challenging Colonial and Racist Legacies in South African Medicine” (Duke University Press, 2023) has been nominated for the 2024 African Studies Association (ASA) Best Book Award.
In “Envisioning African Intersex,” Swarr challenges longstanding misconceptions about intersex bodies, particularly the claim that “hermaphroditism” and intersexuality are disproportionately common among black South Africans. Swarr critiques colonial and medical practices that have shaped the understanding of gender and intersex identities, tracing their legacy from the 1600s to the present. 
The book also highlights the pivotal role of activists like Sally Gross — Africa’s first openly intersex activist — in challenging medical violence, dismantling rigid gender binaries, and advocating for policy change. Swarr shows how these activists, alongside broader intersex South African movements, are disrupting oppressive medical narratives and claiming agency in their own self-representation.
In addition, “Envisioning African Intersex” explores the role of contemporary African social media activism, which calls for intersex justice and critiques the mistreatment of South African Olympian Caster Semenya. Swarr underscores how these digital movements further amplify intersex South Africans’ efforts to resist medical dominance and redefine gender norms.
All royalties from “Envisioning African Intersex” will be donated to Intersex South Africa, an organization founded by Gross dedicated to supporting and advocating for the rights of intersex individuals.