African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 267–280

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001334

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Digital Entrepreneurship, E-Commerce, and Women-Led Small Enterprises in Emerging Markets

Names of Author: Chisom Eze-Nwankwo¹, Alejandro Ruiz², & Nadia Mansour³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Business Administration, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria; ²Department of Economics, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; ³School of Business, American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract:
Social commerce platforms, mobile payment ecosystems, and digital marketplaces have lowered traditional entry barriers for female entrepreneurs, enabling women to launch retail, fashion, and agro-processing businesses from home. However, beneath celebratory narratives of digital empowerment, women-led micro and small enterprises confront persistent structural disparities, including lower venture capital funding, costly logistics infrastructure, algorithmic visibility fees, and limited digital marketing mentorship. This paper examines the opportunities and constraints shaping women’s digital entrepreneurship in Nigeria, Egypt, and Chile. Utilizing feminist entrepreneurship theory, the research combines survey data from 150 female e-commerce founders with 35 in-depth qualitative interviews. We argue that scaling women-led digital businesses requires gender-lens venture financing, affordable cooperative fulfillment hubs, and digital literacy policies tailored to informal female traders.

Keywords: Digital entrepreneurship, e-commerce, women-led enterprises, feminist entrepreneurship, mobile payments, venture capital, emerging markets, economic empowerment

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 05, 2026; Revised: October 05, 2026; Accepted: October 09, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Eze-Nwankwo, C., Ruiz, A., & Mansour, N. (2026). Digital Entrepreneurship, E-Commerce, and Women-Led Small Enterprises in Emerging Markets. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 267–280. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001334

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 253–266

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001333

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Depression, and Community Support Networks in Low-Resource Settings

Names of Author: Amina Al-Hassan¹, Mei-Ying Tan², & Rebecca Callahan³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan; ²Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; ³Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, United States.

Abstract:
Perinatal and postpartum mental health conditions affect millions of women globally, yet maternal health programs in low-resource settings focus almost exclusively on physical obstetric survival while neglecting psychological well-being. Poverty, intimate partner conflict, displacement, and the erosion of traditional extended-family postpartum care practices heighten women’s vulnerability to severe postpartum depression and anxiety. Moreover, psychiatric stigma and acute shortages of mental health specialists prevent mothers from seeking clinical support. This paper investigates community-based psychosocial interventions for maternal mental health in urban Sudan and Singapore’s migrant communities. Grounded in feminist care ethics and global mental health frameworks, the study evaluates peer-led mother support groups and task-shifted counseling programs involving 70 postpartum women. The findings demonstrate that culturally adapted peer support circles reduce maternal isolation, destigmatize emotional distress, and foster collective resilience.

Keywords: Maternal mental health, postpartum depression, community support, feminist care ethics, global mental health, peer counseling, stigma, well-being

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 04, 2026; Revised: October 04, 2026; Accepted: October 08, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Al-Hassan, A., Tan, M.-Y., & Callahan, R. (2026). Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Depression, and Community Support Networks in Low-Resource Settings. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 253–266. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001333

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 239–252

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001332

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Women’s Access to Justice: Specialized Gender-Based Violence Courts and Survivor-Centered Reform

Names of Author: Chiedza Mupfumira¹ & Henrikke Andersen²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Faculty of Law, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe; ²Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract:
High attrition rates, prolonged trial delays, and secondary victimization by law enforcement and judicial officers continue to deter survivors of sexual and domestic violence from pursuing formal legal redress. To address these systemic failures, several African jurisdictions have established specialized gender-based violence (GBV) courts equipped with private testimony rooms, dedicated prosecutors, and victim support officers. While these structural reforms represent significant progress, resource constraints, patriarchal judicial attitudes, and lack of rural court accessibility limit their effectiveness. This paper evaluates the operational efficacy of specialized GBV courts in Zimbabwe and Kenya between 2019 and 2025. Utilizing feminist legal theory and procedural justice frameworks, the research analyzes court case-flow records alongside interviews with 35 survivors, magistrates, and legal aid attorneys. We conclude that specialized courts require sustained budget allocations, mandatory trauma-informed judicial training, and integrated psychosocial shelters to deliver substantive justice.

Keywords: Access to justice, gender-based violence courts, survivor-centered reform, feminist legal theory, judicial reform, secondary victimization, Zimbabwe, Kenya

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 03, 2026; Revised: October 03, 2026; Accepted: October 07, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Mupfumira, C., & Andersen, H. (2026). Women’s Access to Justice: Specialized Gender-Based Violence Courts and Survivor-Centered Reform. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 239–252. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001332

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

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

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 197–210

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001329

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Ecofeminist Perspectives on Urban Waste Picking, Circular Economies, and Environmental Justice

Names of Author: Fatima Bello-Kano¹, Fernanda Souza², & Lukas Novak³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Environmental Management, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria; ²Department of Urban Studies, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; ³Department of Environmental Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Abstract:
Informal waste pickers form the unacknowledged backbone of urban recycling and circular economies across rapidly growing cities in the Global South, diverting millions of tons of plastics and metals from landfills. Women constitute a substantial proportion of waste sorters and recyclers, yet they are concentrated in the lowest-paid, most hazardous tiers of the recycling value chain without protective gear, childcare facilities, or municipal recognition. When cities privatize waste management through corporate concessions, female waste pickers face displacement from landfills and loss of livelihood. This paper examines the organizing strategies of women-led waste picker cooperatives in Kano, Nigeria, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Anchored in ecofeminist political economy and environmental justice theory, the study combines ethnographic observation with 52 interviews. We demonstrate how cooperative unionization enables women to secure municipal recycling contracts, improve occupational safety, and assert environmental stewardship.

Keywords: Ecofeminism, urban waste picking, circular economy, environmental justice, informal workers, women’s cooperatives, Nigeria, Brazil

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 30, 2026; Revised: September 30, 2026; Accepted: October 04, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Bello-Kano, F., Souza, F., & Novak, L. (2026). Ecofeminist Perspectives on Urban Waste Picking, Circular Economies, and Environmental Justice. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 197–210. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001329