Feminist Pedagogy and Decolonizing Gender Studies Curricula in African Universities

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 225–238

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001331

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Feminist Pedagogy and Decolonizing Gender Studies Curricula in African Universities

Names of Author: Mpho Molefe¹, Naledi Phiri², & Laura Jenkins³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; ²Department of Gender Studies, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; ³School of Education, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.

Abstract:
Institutionalized gender studies programs across African universities have played a vital role in training researchers, policy analysts, and feminist advocates over the past four decades. However, syllabi and theoretical frameworks in many departments remain heavily reliant on Western feminist canons, often treating African women’s lived realities merely as empirical case studies rather than sites of indigenous theory production. Furthermore, hierarchical lecture-based teaching methods frequently contradict the emancipatory ideals of feminist inquiry. This paper examines curricular reform and classroom praxis within gender studies departments in South Africa, Zambia, and the United Kingdom. Grounded in decolonial feminist pedagogy, the study synthesizes syllabus audits alongside focus groups with 48 students and lecturers. We demonstrate how centering African languages, oral epistemologies, and participatory community-engaged learning transforms university classrooms into spaces of critical consciousness and intellectual decolonization.

Keywords: Feminist pedagogy, decolonizing curricula, gender studies, African universities, epistemic decolonization, higher education, South Africa, Zambia

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 02, 2026; Revised: October 02, 2026; Accepted: October 06, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Molefe, M., Phiri, N., & Jenkins, L. (2026). Feminist Pedagogy and Decolonizing Gender Studies Curricula in African Universities. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 225–238. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001331

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