Tamara Shefer

Tamara Shefer serves as Senior Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape, where she has established herself as a prominent figure in feminist and gender studies research. Her academic foundation includes degrees from the University of Cape Town (BA Hons, MA) and a doctorate from the University of Western Cape. Her groundbreaking scholarship focuses on intersectional approaches to gender and sexuality, with particular emphasis on youth, masculinities, and sexual justice in post-apartheid South Africa. She has made significant contributions through her research on HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, memory studies, and social justice in higher education. Her influence extends through her editorial roles in numerous prestigious journals, including the International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies, NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies, and the Journal of Gender, Work and Organisation. Currently leading a five-year Andrew W. Mellon funded project on intersectional feminist and queer approaches to gender justice, she continues to challenge dominant frameworks in gender and sexuality research. Her extensive publication record includes work on critical masculinities, teenage pregnancy, sexuality education, and decolonial feminist pedagogies. Beyond academia, she actively engages in policy development and maintains international collaborations through visiting professorships at institutions worldwide, while serving as a member of both the Psychological Society of South Africa and the Academy of Science of South Africa.