[5][6] After completing her Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Cape Town, at the age of 19, Russell left for Britain.
In 1963, Russell had joined the Liberal Party of South Africa that had been founded by Alan Paton, the author of Cry the Beloved Country.
She came to the conclusion that non-violent strategies were futile against the brutal violence and repression of the white Afrikaner police state.
[2] Russell's analysis of strategies and tactics for social and political change is detailed in her book, Rebellion, Revolution, and Armed Force: A Comparative Study of Fifteen Countries with Special Emphasis on Cuba and South Africa (1974).
[8] Rape and other forms of men's sexual exploitation and abuse of women was one of the primary focuses of Russell's research and writings.
Russell lobbied other feminists for two years and eventually was successful in organizing the first International Tribunal on Crimes against Women in Brussels, Belgium, in 1976.
Later, Belgian feminist and journalist Nicole Van de Ven documented with Diana the event in a book, Crimes Against Women: The Proceedings of the International Tribunal (1976).
Similarly, she created the first TV program in South Africa where incest survivors talk in person about their experiences.
[11] Feminist movements in many countries in Latin America, as in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Chile, and El Salvador among others, have adopted the use of Russell's politicized 'Femicide' and have successfully used it socially, politically and legally to address lethal violence against women in their respective countries.