Gender, Religion, and Women’s Leadership in Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 211–224

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001330

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Gender, Religion, and Women’s Leadership in Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements

Names of Author: Akua Mensah-Tetteh¹ & Jonathan Kalu²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana; ²Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Abstract:
Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have experienced exponential growth across urban Africa and its global diaspora, profoundly reshaping public morality, family norms, and gender expectations. While conservative theological doctrines within many congregations emphasize female domestic submission and male headship, Pentecostal spaces simultaneously provide unprecedented opportunities for women to serve as church founders, prophets, televangelists, and financial leaders. This paper interrogates the paradoxical gender dynamics within contemporary Charismatic Christianity in Ghana and Nigeria. Utilizing feminist theology and sociology of religion, the research draws on participant observation across six mega-churches and in-depth interviews with 30 female pastors and congregational leaders. We argue that female religious leaders strategically deploy spiritual authority and charismatic gifting to negotiate patriarchal institutional boundaries while fostering supportive networks for women’s economic and personal empowerment.

Keywords: Pentecostalism, women’s leadership, feminist theology, gender and religion, charismatic movements, spiritual authority, Ghana, Nigeria

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 01, 2026; Revised: October 01, 2026; Accepted: October 05, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Mensah-Tetteh, A., & Kalu, J. (2026). Gender, Religion, and Women’s Leadership in Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 211–224. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001330

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