ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2026 | pp. 15–28
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001346
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Women’s Cooperatives, Shea Butter Value Chains, and Fair Trade Certification in West Africa
Names of Author: Fatimata Ouédraogo¹ & Claire Fontaine²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Rural Economics and Sociology, Nazi Boni University, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso; ²Department of Development Studies, University of Lyon 2, Lyon, France.
Abstract:
Wild-harvested shea nuts represent a crucial source of independent income for millions of rural women across the West African savanna belt, earning shea butter the moniker "women’s gold." However, global cosmetic and confectionery corporations capture the vast majority of value-added profits while rural female collectors and processors receive minimal returns for labor-intensive harvesting and roasting. Although fair trade and organic certification schemes promise fairer pricing and community development premiums, bureaucratic compliance costs and male-dominated export intermediaries frequently limit women’s direct market access. This paper examines how women-owned shea processing cooperatives negotiate global supply chains in Burkina Faso and northern Ghana. Utilizing feminist value chain analysis, the study draws on financial audits of 12 cooperatives and interviews with 55 female processors. We demonstrate that direct export partnerships and collective mechanized processing significantly increase women’s retained earnings and household bargaining power.
Keywords: Shea butter value chains, women’s cooperatives, fair trade, feminist value chain analysis, rural livelihoods, West Africa, economic empowerment, agricultural trade
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 20, 2026; Revised: October 19, 2026; Accepted: October 23, 2026; Published: November 16, 2026.
Citation: Ouédraogo, F., & Fontaine, C. (2026). Women’s Cooperatives, Shea Butter Value Chains, and Fair Trade Certification in West Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(11), 15–28. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001346
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2026 | pp. 1–14
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001345
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Feminist Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence Governance, Facial Recognition, and Racialized Gender Bias
Names of Author: Oluwakemi Adebowale¹, Mei-Ling Tan², & Henrik Svensson³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Computer Science and Digital Society, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria; ²Department of Information Systems and Analytics, National University of Singapore, Singapore; ³Department of Informatics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Abstract:
Commercial facial recognition software, automated hiring tools, and predictive policing algorithms are increasingly deployed across public and private institutions worldwide without comprehensive gender or racial impact audits. Empirical evaluations consistently demonstrate that machine learning models trained on skewed Western datasets exhibit disproportionately high error rates when identifying dark-skinned women, resulting in wrongful biometric exclusions and discriminatory surveillance. Despite growing global debates on artificial intelligence ethics, African and Asian feminist technologists remain underrepresented in international regulatory bodies. This paper investigates the intersection of algorithmic governance, intersectional bias, and digital rights in Nigeria, Singapore, and Sweden. Grounded in intersectional feminist technology studies, the research combines technical audits of commercial biometric systems with interviews involving 32 AI policy experts and digital rights advocates. We argue for binding algorithmic accountability laws and participatory feminist design standards.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence governance, facial recognition, racialized gender bias, feminist technology studies, algorithmic accountability, digital rights, intersectionality, biometrics
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 18, 2026; Revised: October 18, 2026; Accepted: October 22, 2026; Published: November 16, 2026.
Citation: Adebowale, O., Tan, M.-L., & Svensson, H. (2026). Feminist Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence Governance, Facial Recognition, and Racialized Gender Bias. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(11), 1–14. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001345
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 407–420
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001344
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Feminist Theatre, Forum Drama, and Community Dialogue on Child Marriage and Girls’ Rights
Names of Author: Efua Kyei-Baffour¹ & Hannah Whitaker²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Theatre Arts, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana; ²Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Top-down legal bans and punitive awareness campaigns against child marriage often fail to shift deeply entrenched socio-economic and cultural norms when communities perceive external interventions as culturally alien impositions. In response, feminist theatre practitioners across Africa have adopted participatory forum theatre—where community members actively intervene in dramatic performances to rehearse alternative resolutions to gender conflict—as a transformative tool for grassroots dialogue. This paper examines how community-based feminist theatre troupes engage parents, traditional elders, and adolescents in confronting child marriage and girls’ educational exclusion in northern Ghana and rural Malawi. Grounded in feminist performance theory and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, the study analyzes performance scripts, post-show audience dialogues, and follow-up interviews with 50 community participants. We argue that participatory drama fosters empathetic reflection and community-owned norm change.
Keywords: Feminist theatre, forum drama, child marriage, girls’ rights, participatory performance, cultural norms, Ghana, Malawi
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 15, 2026; Revised: October 15, 2026; Accepted: October 19, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Kyei-Baffour, E., & Whitaker, H. (2026). Feminist Theatre, Forum Drama, and Community Dialogue on Child Marriage and Girls’ Rights. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 407–420. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001344
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 393–406
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001343
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Women’s Savings Groups, Microfinance, and Collective Economic Resilience in Informal Settlements
Names of Author: Amina Kamara¹, Diego Mendoza², & Mei-Ling Zhou³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Economics and Commerce, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone; ²Department of Social Development, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; ³School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Commercial microfinance institutions have frequently been criticized by feminist economists for charging exorbitant interest rates and relying on coercive peer-pressure recovery tactics that trap low-income women in chronic indebtedness. In contrast, self-managed rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) and village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) enable women in informal urban settlements to pool resources, access emergency social funds, and build collective financial autonomy without predatory external debt. This paper compares the socio-economic outcomes of commercial microcredit versus women-led savings cooperatives in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Utilizing feminist political economy frameworks, the research combines financial diary tracking from 120 female members with participatory group discussions. The findings demonstrate that autonomous savings groups foster democratic financial literacy, mutual solidarity, and resilient micro-enterprise growth.
Keywords: Women’s savings groups, microfinance, informal settlements, economic resilience, feminist political economy, financial inclusion, Sierra Leone, Argentina
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 14, 2026; Revised: October 14, 2026; Accepted: October 18, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Kamara, A., Mendoza, D., & Zhou, M.-L. (2026). Women’s Savings Groups, Microfinance, and Collective Economic Resilience in Informal Settlements. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 393–406. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001343
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 379–392
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001342
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Motherhood, Academic Precarity, and the Gendered Politics of Research Productivity
Names of Author: Nneka Okonkwo¹ & Sophie Moreau-Laurent²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria; ²Department of Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Neoliberal metrics of academic excellence—measured through rapid publication output, international conference mobility, and continuous grant acquisition—systematically disadvantage early-career mothers in higher education. Inadequate institutional childcare facilities, short maternity leave policies, and stigmatization of caregiving responsibilities force many female academics onto precarious adjunct contracts or slow their progression toward tenured professorships. Furthermore, funding agencies rarely adjust age-based grant eligibility criteria to account for career interruptions caused by childbearing and eldercare. This paper examines how academic mothers negotiate institutional precarity and research productivity expectations in Nigerian and Swiss universities. Grounded in feminist organizational theory and sociology of work, the study analyzes narrative interviews with 36 female lecturers and postdoctoral researchers. We advocate for care-inclusive tenure clocks, subsidized on-campus childcare, and flexible remote-fellowship models to retain women in academia.
Keywords: Academic motherhood, research productivity, higher education, workplace precarity, feminist organizational theory, work-life balance, Nigeria, Switzerland
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 13, 2026; Revised: October 13, 2026; Accepted: October 17, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Okonkwo, N., & Moreau-Laurent, S. (2026). Motherhood, Academic Precarity, and the Gendered Politics of Research Productivity. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 379–392. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001342
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 365–378
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001341
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Gendered Dimensions of Armed Conflict, Forced Displacement, and Camp Governance
Names of Author: Nyabol Gatluak¹, Astrid Lindqvist², &Tariq Al-Mansoor³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Peace and Development Studies, University of Juba, Juba, South Sudan; ²Department of Global Political Studies, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden; ³Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar.
Abstract:
Protracted civil conflicts and humanitarian crises have displaced millions of women and children into protracted refugee settlements and internal displacement camps across East Africa and the Middle East. While international humanitarian agencies frequently prioritize emergency food and shelter distribution, camp governance structures are often dominated by male elders who marginalize women’s voices in security planning and resource allocation. Inadequate lighting around communal latrines, lack of firewood alternatives, and economic desperation expose displaced women and girls to acute risks of sexual exploitation and domestic violence. This paper investigates women’s leadership and safety governance inside displacement camps in South Sudan and Jordan. Grounded in feminist security studies, the research draws on 48 interviews with displaced women’s committees and humanitarian protection officers. We argue that mandating gender parity on camp management committees and funding women-led protection patrols substantially improves camp security.
Keywords: Forced displacement, camp governance, feminist security studies, refugee women, humanitarian aid, gender-based violence, South Sudan, Jordan
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 12, 2026; Revised: October 12, 2026; Accepted: October 16, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Gatluak, N., Lindqvist, A., & Al-Mansoor, T. (2026). Gendered Dimensions of Armed Conflict, Forced Displacement, and Camp Governance. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 365–378. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001341
28.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 379–392
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001342
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Motherhood, Academic Precarity, and the Gendered Politics of Research Productivity
Names of Author: Nneka Okonkwo¹ & Sophie Moreau-Laurent²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria; ²Department of Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Neoliberal metrics of academic excellence—measured through rapid publication output, international conference mobility, and continuous grant acquisition—systematically disadvantage early-career mothers in higher education. Inadequate institutional childcare facilities, short maternity leave policies, and stigmatization of caregiving responsibilities force many female academics onto precarious adjunct contracts or slow their progression toward tenured professorships. Furthermore, funding agencies rarely adjust age-based grant eligibility criteria to account for career interruptions caused by childbearing and eldercare. This paper examines how academic mothers negotiate institutional precarity and research productivity expectations in Nigerian and Swiss universities. Grounded in feminist organizational theory and sociology of work, the study analyzes narrative interviews with 36 female lecturers and postdoctoral researchers. We advocate for care-inclusive tenure clocks, subsidized on-campus childcare, and flexible remote-fellowship models to retain women in academia.
Keywords: Academic motherhood, research productivity, higher education, workplace precarity, feminist organizational theory, work-life balance, Nigeria, Switzerland
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 13, 2026; Revised: October 13, 2026; Accepted: October 17, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Okonkwo, N., & Moreau-Laurent, S. (2026). Motherhood, Academic Precarity, and the Gendered Politics of Research Productivity. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 379–392. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001342
29.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 393–406
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001343
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Women’s Savings Groups, Microfinance, and Collective Economic Resilience in Informal Settlements
Names of Author: Amina Kamara¹, Diego Mendoza², & Mei-Ling Zhou³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Economics and Commerce, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone; ²Department of Social Development, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; ³School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Commercial microfinance institutions have frequently been criticized by feminist economists for charging exorbitant interest rates and relying on coercive peer-pressure recovery tactics that trap low-income women in chronic indebtedness. In contrast, self-managed rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) and village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) enable women in informal urban settlements to pool resources, access emergency social funds, and build collective financial autonomy without predatory external debt. This paper compares the socio-economic outcomes of commercial microcredit versus women-led savings cooperatives in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Utilizing feminist political economy frameworks, the research combines financial diary tracking from 120 female members with participatory group discussions. The findings demonstrate that autonomous savings groups foster democratic financial literacy, mutual solidarity, and resilient micro-enterprise growth.
Keywords: Women’s savings groups, microfinance, informal settlements, economic resilience, feminist political economy, financial inclusion, Sierra Leone, Argentina
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 14, 2026; Revised: October 14, 2026; Accepted: October 18, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Kamara, A., Mendoza, D., & Zhou, M.-L. (2026). Women’s Savings Groups, Microfinance, and Collective Economic Resilience in Informal Settlements. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 393–406. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001343
30.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 407–420
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001344
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Feminist Theatre, Forum Drama, and Community Dialogue on Child Marriage and Girls’ Rights
Names of Author: Efua Kyei-Baffour¹ & Hannah Whitaker²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Theatre Arts, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana; ²Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Top-down legal bans and punitive awareness campaigns against child marriage often fail to shift deeply entrenched socio-economic and cultural norms when communities perceive external interventions as culturally alien impositions. In response, feminist theatre practitioners across Africa have adopted participatory forum theatre—where community members actively intervene in dramatic performances to rehearse alternative resolutions to gender conflict—as a transformative tool for grassroots dialogue. This paper examines how community-based feminist theatre troupes engage parents, traditional elders, and adolescents in confronting child marriage and girls’ educational exclusion in northern Ghana and rural Malawi. Grounded in feminist performance theory and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, the study analyzes performance scripts, post-show audience dialogues, and follow-up interviews with 50 community participants. We argue that participatory drama fosters empathetic reflection and community-owned norm change.
Keywords: Feminist theatre, forum drama, child marriage, girls’ rights, participatory performance, cultural norms, Ghana, Malawi
Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 15, 2026; Revised: October 15, 2026; Accepted: October 19, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Kyei-Baffour, E., & Whitaker, H. (2026). Feminist Theatre, Forum Drama, and Community Dialogue on Child Marriage and Girls’ Rights. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 407–420. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001344