Profile
Puleng Segalo
Training Location(s):
PhD, Graduate Center, City University of New York (2013)
MA, Graduate Center, City University of New York (2012)
MA, University of South Africa (2004)
Hons. BA, University of Pretoria (1999)
BA, University of Pretoria (1997)
Hons. BA, University of Pretoria (1998)
Primary Affiliation(s):
University of South Africa, 2000–present
Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South Africa, 2021–present
Kansas African Studies Centre, African Affiliate (University of Kansas), 2023–2025
Institute of African Studies Research Affiliate (University of Ghana), 2023
Psychology’s Feminist Voices Oral History Interview:
Other Media:
Career Focus:
Intersection of community psychology, visual arts, and gender studies; community well-being; decolonial feminist psychology; historical trauma as relational; reconciliation, social justice and psychological healing
Biography
Puleng Segalo's journey into psychology and feminist activism is deeply rooted in her upbringing in the Free State, South Africa, her birthplace and a region characterized by its rich cultural heritage and complex socio-political history. Growing up in a community surrounded by strong female figures, including her mother, grandmothers, and aunts, Segalo was instilled with values of resilience and agency from an early age. These women, though not explicitly identified as feminists, embodied feminist values through their everyday actions, deeply influencing Segalo's understanding of gender dynamics and community engagement.
Segalo pursued her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Anthropology at the University of Pretoria, where she completed her degree with cum laude honors. She then went on to do her masters, an experience she remembers as being challenging as she had a disinterested White Afrikaner man as supervisor. Thankfully, this experience did not extend to her PhD, which she completed in the United States under the supervision of Michelle Fine. Segalo notes that the mentorship, support, and opportunities that opened up during her doctoral training played a very critical role in the kind of scholar that she became.
Segalo’s academic journey was marked by a growing awareness of the limitations of traditional psychological frameworks, particularly their lack of attention to gender and cultural contexts. This awareness was further cultivated during her graduate studies in the United States where she engaged with feminist and decolonial theories that resonated with her personal experiences and academic interests.
As a scholar, Segalo is committed to integrating these frameworks into psychological practice, emphasizing the importance of contextualizing psychological research within the lived realities of marginalized communities. Her research focuses on the intersections of trauma, identity, and gender, and the context of history and coloniality, particularly in post-apartheid South Africa.
One of Segalo's most innovative contributions to feminist psychology is her use of embroidery as a methodological tool for narrative expression and healing. Working with women's collectives, she has developed ways for women to share their experiences of trauma and resilience through textile art, creating spaces for voices that were historically silenced during South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission process. Her research span multiple interconnected areas: trauma and gender, identity formation in post-apartheid contexts, decolonial approaches to psychological practice, and the advancement of African epistemologies in psychology. She has been particularly vocal about the need to challenge the Global North's dominance in knowledge production and to create space for indigenous ways of knowing and healing.
During her PFV interview, Dr. Segalo reflected on a definition of decolonial feminist psychology, stating that:
“there is no straightforward answer to feminist psychology or decolonial feminist psychology, but it's really about challenging psychology to look at itself and to look at its history, to look at its contributions, but to also look at how it has and continues to be implicated in how it has not really given attention to women's challenges because it assumes that ‘the human’ is the same thing and not taking into consideration all the structural challenges that actually influence how the human in the form of a woman or a man, depending on how a person presents themselves, is really influenced and determined by the system, the structures that they exist within”
She added that it is an approach that critically examines the historical and ongoing implications of colonialism and patriarchy within the discipline of psychology. Decolonial feminist psychology seeks to address the structural challenges that influence human experiences, recognizing the systematic nature of issues like gender-based violence. It aims to reimagine and redefine traditional gender roles and relationships within the context of historical and socio-political influences.
Segalo continues to push boundaries in her role as the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair at UNISA, advocating for a psychology that is not only inclusive but actively engaged in social justice. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Fulbright scholarship and the Distinguished Young Woman Scientist Award by South Africa’s Ministry of Science and Technology. She is a prolific author, with publications spanning topics from gender-based violence to African-centered decolonial pedagogy. Her scholarly contributions include numerous publications in prestigious journals, book chapters, and presentations at international conferences. She serves as a consulting editor for the journal Feminism & Psychology and as an associate editor for the Journal of Social and Political Psychology.
Segalo's career is also marked by her mentorship and educational contributions, where she inspires the next generation of psychologists to challenge existing paradigms and embrace a more inclusive understanding of psychological well-being. Her efforts extend beyond academia, as she actively engages with community-based projects that empower women through sustainable practices and mutual care.
Reflecting on her journey, Segalo emphasizes the importance of community, relationality, and the transformative potential of psychology. As both an academic and activist, Segalo consistently works to bridge the gap between academic knowledge production and community needs. She has developed accessible educational materials in local languages and facilitates community dialogues that bring scholarly insights into conversation with lived experiences. Her commitment to transformative education and social justice continues to influence new generations of psychologists and researchers in South Africa and globally.
Currently raising two boys while thriving in her academic career, Segalo embodies the integration of personal experience, professional practice, and political commitment in feminist psychology. Her work represents a powerful challenge to traditional psychological frameworks while offering new possibilities for understanding and healing in postcolonial contexts.
By Amanda Nkeramihigo (2025)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
Segalo, P. (2022). Embroidered voices: Exposing hidden trauma stories of apartheid. TEXTILE, 21(2), 422–434.
Segalo, P. (2022). Stitching narratives of gender-based violence: Meaning-making through embroidery. Journal of International Women's Studies, 24(4). Available at
https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol24/iss4/5
Segalo, P., & Fine, M. (2020). Underlying conditions of gender‐based violence—Decolonial feminism meets epistemic ignorance: Critical transnational conversations. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(10), 1–10.
Ormond, A., Segalo, P., Torre, M. E., & Fine, M. (2024). Decolonizing in a transnational feminist commons perched precariously between the academy and movements for justice. In L. Comas-Díaz, H. Y. Adames, & N. Y. Chavez-Dueñas (Eds.), Decolonial psychology: Toward anticolonial theories, research, training, and practice (pp. 169–201). American Psychological Association.
Segalo, P. (2024). On navigating the corridors of institutions of higher learning: Neo Mathabe’s journey. In B. Magoqwana, S. Magadla, & A. Masola (Eds.) Inyathi ibuzwa kwabaphambili: Theorizing South African women’s intellectual legacies. Mandela University Press.
Chauke. T. & Segalo, P. (2024). Converging Worlds: Exploring Pluriversal Possibilities in South African Universities from an Afro-Centric view. In G. Khunou (Ed.).Transforming higher education scholarship after COVID-19 and in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution. UJ Press.
Photo Gallery
Puleng Segalo
Training Location(s):
PhD, Graduate Center, City University of New York (2013)
MA, Graduate Center, City University of New York (2012)
MA, University of South Africa (2004)
Hons. BA, University of Pretoria (1999)
BA, University of Pretoria (1997)
Hons. BA, University of Pretoria (1998)
Primary Affiliation(s):
University of South Africa, 2000–present
Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South Africa, 2021–present
Kansas African Studies Centre, African Affiliate (University of Kansas), 2023–2025
Institute of African Studies Research Affiliate (University of Ghana), 2023
Psychology’s Feminist Voices Oral History Interview:
Other Media:
Career Focus:
Intersection of community psychology, visual arts, and gender studies; community well-being; decolonial feminist psychology; historical trauma as relational; reconciliation, social justice and psychological healing
Biography
Puleng Segalo's journey into psychology and feminist activism is deeply rooted in her upbringing in the Free State, South Africa, her birthplace and a region characterized by its rich cultural heritage and complex socio-political history. Growing up in a community surrounded by strong female figures, including her mother, grandmothers, and aunts, Segalo was instilled with values of resilience and agency from an early age. These women, though not explicitly identified as feminists, embodied feminist values through their everyday actions, deeply influencing Segalo's understanding of gender dynamics and community engagement.
Segalo pursued her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Anthropology at the University of Pretoria, where she completed her degree with cum laude honors. She then went on to do her masters, an experience she remembers as being challenging as she had a disinterested White Afrikaner man as supervisor. Thankfully, this experience did not extend to her PhD, which she completed in the United States under the supervision of Michelle Fine. Segalo notes that the mentorship, support, and opportunities that opened up during her doctoral training played a very critical role in the kind of scholar that she became.
Segalo’s academic journey was marked by a growing awareness of the limitations of traditional psychological frameworks, particularly their lack of attention to gender and cultural contexts. This awareness was further cultivated during her graduate studies in the United States where she engaged with feminist and decolonial theories that resonated with her personal experiences and academic interests.
As a scholar, Segalo is committed to integrating these frameworks into psychological practice, emphasizing the importance of contextualizing psychological research within the lived realities of marginalized communities. Her research focuses on the intersections of trauma, identity, and gender, and the context of history and coloniality, particularly in post-apartheid South Africa.
One of Segalo's most innovative contributions to feminist psychology is her use of embroidery as a methodological tool for narrative expression and healing. Working with women's collectives, she has developed ways for women to share their experiences of trauma and resilience through textile art, creating spaces for voices that were historically silenced during South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission process. Her research span multiple interconnected areas: trauma and gender, identity formation in post-apartheid contexts, decolonial approaches to psychological practice, and the advancement of African epistemologies in psychology. She has been particularly vocal about the need to challenge the Global North's dominance in knowledge production and to create space for indigenous ways of knowing and healing.
During her PFV interview, Dr. Segalo reflected on a definition of decolonial feminist psychology, stating that:
“there is no straightforward answer to feminist psychology or decolonial feminist psychology, but it's really about challenging psychology to look at itself and to look at its history, to look at its contributions, but to also look at how it has and continues to be implicated in how it has not really given attention to women's challenges because it assumes that ‘the human’ is the same thing and not taking into consideration all the structural challenges that actually influence how the human in the form of a woman or a man, depending on how a person presents themselves, is really influenced and determined by the system, the structures that they exist within”
She added that it is an approach that critically examines the historical and ongoing implications of colonialism and patriarchy within the discipline of psychology. Decolonial feminist psychology seeks to address the structural challenges that influence human experiences, recognizing the systematic nature of issues like gender-based violence. It aims to reimagine and redefine traditional gender roles and relationships within the context of historical and socio-political influences.
Segalo continues to push boundaries in her role as the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair at UNISA, advocating for a psychology that is not only inclusive but actively engaged in social justice. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Fulbright scholarship and the Distinguished Young Woman Scientist Award by South Africa’s Ministry of Science and Technology. She is a prolific author, with publications spanning topics from gender-based violence to African-centered decolonial pedagogy. Her scholarly contributions include numerous publications in prestigious journals, book chapters, and presentations at international conferences. She serves as a consulting editor for the journal Feminism & Psychology and as an associate editor for the Journal of Social and Political Psychology.
Segalo's career is also marked by her mentorship and educational contributions, where she inspires the next generation of psychologists to challenge existing paradigms and embrace a more inclusive understanding of psychological well-being. Her efforts extend beyond academia, as she actively engages with community-based projects that empower women through sustainable practices and mutual care.
Reflecting on her journey, Segalo emphasizes the importance of community, relationality, and the transformative potential of psychology. As both an academic and activist, Segalo consistently works to bridge the gap between academic knowledge production and community needs. She has developed accessible educational materials in local languages and facilitates community dialogues that bring scholarly insights into conversation with lived experiences. Her commitment to transformative education and social justice continues to influence new generations of psychologists and researchers in South Africa and globally.
Currently raising two boys while thriving in her academic career, Segalo embodies the integration of personal experience, professional practice, and political commitment in feminist psychology. Her work represents a powerful challenge to traditional psychological frameworks while offering new possibilities for understanding and healing in postcolonial contexts.
By Amanda Nkeramihigo (2025)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
Segalo, P. (2022). Embroidered voices: Exposing hidden trauma stories of apartheid. TEXTILE, 21(2), 422–434.
Segalo, P. (2022). Stitching narratives of gender-based violence: Meaning-making through embroidery. Journal of International Women's Studies, 24(4). Available at
https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol24/iss4/5
Segalo, P., & Fine, M. (2020). Underlying conditions of gender‐based violence—Decolonial feminism meets epistemic ignorance: Critical transnational conversations. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(10), 1–10.
Ormond, A., Segalo, P., Torre, M. E., & Fine, M. (2024). Decolonizing in a transnational feminist commons perched precariously between the academy and movements for justice. In L. Comas-Díaz, H. Y. Adames, & N. Y. Chavez-Dueñas (Eds.), Decolonial psychology: Toward anticolonial theories, research, training, and practice (pp. 169–201). American Psychological Association.
Segalo, P. (2024). On navigating the corridors of institutions of higher learning: Neo Mathabe’s journey. In B. Magoqwana, S. Magadla, & A. Masola (Eds.) Inyathi ibuzwa kwabaphambili: Theorizing South African women’s intellectual legacies. Mandela University Press.
Chauke. T. & Segalo, P. (2024). Converging Worlds: Exploring Pluriversal Possibilities in South African Universities from an Afro-Centric view. In G. Khunou (Ed.).Transforming higher education scholarship after COVID-19 and in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution. UJ Press.