Feminist Digital Archives, Memory Work, and the Preservation of Women’s Liberation Movements

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 155–168

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001326

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Feminist Digital Archives, Memory Work, and the Preservation of Women’s Liberation Movements

Names of Author: Tsitsi Chigwedere¹ & Arthur Pendelton²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of History and Heritage Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe; ²Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.

Abstract:
Official national archives across postcolonial nations have frequently marginalized the grassroots organizing, underground pamphlets, and oral histories of women’s liberation movements, privileging male nationalist leaders in state memory. In response, feminist archivists, scholars, and community activists are utilizing open-access digital repositories to preserve endangered activist ephemera and democratize historical knowledge. However, digitizing sensitive feminist records raises complex ethical questions regarding survivor privacy, community data sovereignty, and long-term digital preservation. This paper examines community-led feminist digital archiving projects in Southern Africa and North America. Grounded in decolonial archival theory and feminist memory studies, the research draws on interviews with 26 archivists and oral history practitioners alongside analyses of digital repository governance models. We demonstrate how participatory, consent-driven digital archives safeguard marginalized histories while empowering younger generations of feminist organizers.

Keywords: Feminist archives, digital preservation, memory work, women’s liberation, decolonial archival theory, oral history, data sovereignty, Southern Africa

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 27, 2026; Revised: September 27, 2026; Accepted: October 01, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Chigwedere, T., & Pendelton, A. (2026). Feminist Digital Archives, Memory Work, and the Preservation of Women’s Liberation Movements. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 155–168. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001326

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