ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 85–98
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001321
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Indigenous Midwifery, Cultural Safety, and the Decolonization of Maternal Healthcare
Names of Author: Halima Toure¹, Valeria Quispe², & Sarah Henderson³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Anthropology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali; ²Faculty of Health Sciences, Mayor de San Andrés University, La Paz, Bolivia; ³School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Abstract:
Global maternal health policies have historically marginalized traditional birth attendants and Indigenous midwives, framing ancestral birthing practices as unscientific obstacles to biomedical modernization. Yet in rural and Indigenous communities where state hospitals are geographically distant or culturally alienating, traditional midwives remain trusted providers of holistic prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care. Prohibitive policies that criminalize traditional midwifery without providing culturally respectful clinical alternatives often deepen maternal health inequities. This paper explores collaborative models integrating Indigenous midwifery knowledge with public obstetric services in Mali, Bolivia, and Canada. Anchored in decolonial feminist health frameworks and cultural safety theory, the study synthesizes participatory dialogues with 42 traditional midwives, biomedical obstetricians, and mothers. We argue that equitable maternal care depends on mutual epistemic respect, legal recognition of Indigenous birth workers, and community-governed birthing centers.
Keywords: Indigenous midwifery, decolonizing healthcare, cultural safety, maternal health, traditional birth attendants, reproductive justice, Mali, Bolivia
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 18, 2026; Revised: September 18, 2026; Accepted: September 22, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Toure, H., Quispe, V., & Henderson, S. (2026). Indigenous Midwifery, Cultural Safety, and the Decolonization of Maternal Healthcare. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 85–98. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001321
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 71–84
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001320
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Women in STEM Higher Education: Navigating Epistemic Injustice and Laboratory Cultures
Names of Author: Chinyere Obi-Okoye¹, Rajeshwari Subramanian², & Hannah McAllister³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; ²Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India; ³Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract:
While targeted scholarship initiatives have increased female enrollment in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, women remain severely underrepresented in senior research fellowships, patent ownership, and principal investigator roles. Beyond overt discrimination, female scientists routinely experience subtle forms of epistemic injustice—including the dismissal of their methodological contributions, exclusion from informal grant-writing consortia, and disproportionate allocation of routine laboratory maintenance duties. This paper investigates the everyday institutional and laboratory cultures shaping women’s academic persistence in STEM faculties across Nigeria, India, and Australia. Grounded in feminist epistemology of science and organizational sociology, the research draws on 54 semi-structured interviews with female doctoral candidates and faculty members. The findings reveal that dismantling the leaky STEM pipeline requires reforming opaque peer-review networks, auditing research funding distribution, and institutionalizing sponsor-backed career advancement.
Keywords: Women in STEM, epistemic injustice, higher education, laboratory culture, feminist epistemology, gender equity, research funding, academic persistence
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 15, 2026; Revised: September 16, 2026; Accepted: September 20, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Obi-Okoye, C., Subramanian, R., & McAllister, H. (2026). Women in STEM Higher Education: Navigating Epistemic Injustice and Laboratory Cultures. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 71–84. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001320
7.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 85–98
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001321
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Indigenous Midwifery, Cultural Safety, and the Decolonization of Maternal Healthcare
Names of Author: Halima Toure¹, Valeria Quispe², & Sarah Henderson³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Anthropology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali; ²Faculty of Health Sciences, Mayor de San Andrés University, La Paz, Bolivia; ³School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Abstract:
Global maternal health policies have historically marginalized traditional birth attendants and Indigenous midwives, framing ancestral birthing practices as unscientific obstacles to biomedical modernization. Yet in rural and Indigenous communities where state hospitals are geographically distant or culturally alienating, traditional midwives remain trusted providers of holistic prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care. Prohibitive policies that criminalize traditional midwifery without providing culturally respectful clinical alternatives often deepen maternal health inequities. This paper explores collaborative models integrating Indigenous midwifery knowledge with public obstetric services in Mali, Bolivia, and Canada. Anchored in decolonial feminist health frameworks and cultural safety theory, the study synthesizes participatory dialogues with 42 traditional midwives, biomedical obstetricians, and mothers. We argue that equitable maternal care depends on mutual epistemic respect, legal recognition of Indigenous birth workers, and community-governed birthing centers.
Keywords: Indigenous midwifery, decolonizing healthcare, cultural safety, maternal health, traditional birth attendants, reproductive justice, Mali, Bolivia
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 18, 2026; Revised: September 18, 2026; Accepted: September 22, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Toure, H., Quispe, V., & Henderson, S. (2026). Indigenous Midwifery, Cultural Safety, and the Decolonization of Maternal Healthcare. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 85–98. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001321
8.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 99–112
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001322
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Gendered Impacts of Sovereign Debt, Structural Adjustment, and Privatized Social Services
Names of Author: Makena Njoroge¹ & Lorenzo Bianchi²
Author's Affiliation: ¹School of Economics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; ²Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Abstract:
Escalating sovereign debt repayments across low- and middle-income countries have revived creditor-mandated austerity measures, including public sector wage freezes, subsidy removals, and the privatization of healthcare and water utilities. Feminist economists have long demonstrated that macroeconomic adjustment policies are never gender-neutral; when public infrastructure contracts, women absorb the resulting deficit through intensified unpaid care work and precarious informal employment. Furthermore, user fees for privatized essential services disproportionately exclude low-income women and girls. This paper analyzes the gendered socio-economic consequences of recent debt restructuring agreements in Kenya and Zambia between 2020 and 2025. Utilizing feminist macroeconomic modeling and household expenditure data alongside community focus groups, we illustrate how debt-driven fiscal consolidation erodes gender equality gains and advocate for human-rights-based debt cancellation and progressive wealth taxation.
Keywords: Sovereign debt, feminist macroeconomics, austerity, privatization, unpaid care work, social services, Kenya, Zambia
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 20, 2026; Revised: September 20, 2026; Accepted: September 24, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Njoroge, M., & Bianchi, L. (2026). Gendered Impacts of Sovereign Debt, Structural Adjustment, and Privatized Social Services. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 99–112. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001322
9.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 113–126
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001323
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Feminist Podcasting, Oral Storytelling, and Counter-Public Spheres in Contemporary Africa
Names of Author: Efia Boateng-Acheampong¹, Maya Deshmukh², & Chloe Tremblay³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Communication and Media Studies, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana; ²Department of Cultural Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India; ³Department of Communication, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Abstract:
Digital audio platforms and independent podcasts have rapidly emerged as accessible, intimate spaces for feminist dialogue, sexual health education, and political critique across urban and diasporic African communities. Unlike tightly regulated state broadcasters or algorithmically volatile visual social media platforms, podcasting enables female hosts and listeners to engage in nuanced, long-form conversations about taboo subjects such as reproductive autonomy, marital expectations, mental health, and queer identity. This paper examines how independent feminist podcasts cultivate transnational counter-public spheres and intergenerational solidarity. Grounded in feminist media theory and African oral storytelling traditions, the study analyzes 45 episodes from prominent feminist podcasts produced in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa alongside listener focus groups. We argue that digital audio storytelling revitalizes indigenous traditions of communal female dialogue while fostering safe spaces for collective consciousness-raising.
Keywords: Feminist podcasting, oral storytelling, counter-public sphere, digital media, African feminism, consciousness-raising, Ghana, Kenya
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 22, 2026; Revised: September 22, 2026; Accepted: September 26, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Boateng-Acheampong, E., Deshmukh, M., & Tremblay, C. (2026). Feminist Podcasting, Oral Storytelling, and Counter-Public Spheres in Contemporary Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 113–126. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001323
10.
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 127–140
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001324
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Caregiver Burnout, Eldercare Policies, and the Intergenerational Sandwich Generation
Names of Author: Nomvula Zungu¹, Mei-Hua Lin², & Katarzyna Nowak³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Social Work, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; ²Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; ³Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
Increasing life expectancy, urban migration, and declining state investment in public eldercare have placed unprecedented caregiving demands on midlife women belonging to the "sandwich generation"—those simultaneously raising children and caring for aging or chronically ill relatives. Because cultural norms across diverse societies naturalize women’s unpaid caregiving as a moral duty, female caregivers experience acute physical exhaustion, career interruptions, and reduced retirement savings without institutional recognition or financial compensation. This paper examines the lived experiences of sandwich-generation female caregivers in South Africa, Taiwan, and Poland. Anchored in feminist care ethics and comparative social policy analysis, the study draws upon 60 in-depth caregiver interviews and evaluations of national eldercare support schemes. The findings underscore that achieving gender equity across the life course requires universal public eldercare infrastructure, paid family care leave, and caregiver pension credits.
Keywords: Eldercare, sandwich generation, caregiver burnout, feminist care ethics, unpaid care work, social policy, aging, gender equity
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 25, 2026; Revised: September 25, 2026; Accepted: September 29, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Zungu, N., Lin, M.-H., & Nowak, K. (2026). Caregiver Burnout, Eldercare Policies, and the Intergenerational Sandwich Generation. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 127–140. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001324
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 57–70
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001319
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Queer Migrations, Asylum Adjudication, and Credibility Assessments in Host Jurisdictions
Names of Author: Thandeka Mahlangu¹ & Thomas Lefebvre²
Author's Affiliation: ¹African Centre for Migration and Society, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; ²Department of Law and Political Science, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Abstract:
Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBTQ) asylum seekers fleeing criminalization and family violence frequently encounter skeptical and invasive credibility assessments when seeking refugee protection. Immigration adjudicators often rely on rigid, Westernized stereotypes of queer identity, expecting applicants to demonstrate linear coming-out narratives or visible participation in commercial queer nightlife. Consequently, African queer women whose survival depended on discretion or who experienced intersectional trauma risk arbitrary asylum denials and deportation. This paper examines how LBTQ women navigate refugee status determination processes in South Africa and France. Utilizing queer migration studies and intersectional legal analysis, the study reviews asylum tribunal transcripts alongside life-history interviews with 28 queer women refugees and legal advocates. We demonstrate how grassroots queer migrant networks provide crucial legal literacy and emotional solidarity, enabling applicants to contest reductive bureaucratic expectations of queer authenticity.
Keywords: Queer migration, asylum adjudication, LBTQ refugees, credibility assessments, intersectionality, refugee law, South Africa, France
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 12, 2026; Revised: September 14, 2026; Accepted: September 18, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Mahlangu, T., & Lefebvre, T. (2026). Queer Migrations, Asylum Adjudication, and Credibility Assessments in Host Jurisdictions. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 57–70. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001319
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 43–56
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001318
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Digital Violence, Deepfakes, and the Chilling Effect on Women in Public Political Life
Names of Author: Oluwaseun Babalola¹, Sofia Castellanos², & Min-Jae Kim³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria; ²Faculty of Communication and Language, Pontifical Javeriana University, Bogotá, Colombia; ³Department of Media and Communication, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
Abstract:
The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence and synthetic media has escalated technology-facilitated gender-based violence against female politicians, journalists, and human rights defenders worldwide. Non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, coordinated doxxing campaigns, and algorithmic amplification of misogynistic hate speech are increasingly weaponized to discredit women’s public credibility and deter female political participation. Despite growing awareness of online abuse, technology platforms and national legal frameworks remain poorly equipped to provide timely redress or hold perpetrators accountable. This paper investigates the political and psychological impacts of AI-generated digital violence on female public figures in Nigeria, Colombia, and South Korea. Anchored in feminist media studies and digital human rights frameworks, the research combines computational analysis of online harassment trends with confidential interviews involving 36 female politicians and journalists. The findings underscore the urgent need for platform liability laws and survivor-centered digital safety protocols.
Keywords: Technology-facilitated violence, deepfakes, women in politics, digital human rights, feminist media studies, online harassment, artificial intelligence, democracy
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 10, 2026; Revised: September 12, 2026; Accepted: September 16, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Babalola, O., Castellanos, S., & Kim, M.-J. (2026). Digital Violence, Deepfakes, and the Chilling Effect on Women in Public Political Life. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 43–56. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001318
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 29–42
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001317
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Feminist Foreign Policy and Gendered Approaches to International Peace Mediation
Names of Author: Fatma Al-Zahra¹, Henrik Lindström², & Chantal Kaboré³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Political Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; ²Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; ³Institute of International Relations, University of Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Abstract:
Over the past decade, several states and multilateral organizations have adopted explicit feminist foreign policy frameworks aimed at integrating gender equality into diplomacy, development aid, and conflict resolution. However, critics from the Global South contend that donor-driven gender initiatives frequently impose Eurocentric priorities while ignoring structural inequities such as arms exports, sovereign debt, and extractive trade policies that fuel regional instability. Furthermore, grassroots women mediators in conflict zones often receive symbolic recognition without substantive decision-making authority at formal peace tables. This paper interrogates the tensions between state-led feminist foreign policies and grassroots women’s peacebuilding priorities in the Sahel and North Africa. Grounded in postcolonial feminist international relations theory, the study analyzes diplomatic policy documents and interviews with 30 peace mediators and foreign policy practitioners. We argue for a decolonial feminist diplomacy that redistributes funding directly to local women’s coalitions.
Keywords: Feminist foreign policy, peace mediation, postcolonial international relations, diplomacy, women peacebuilders, Global South, Sahel, North Africa
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 08, 2026; Revised: September 10, 2026; Accepted: September 14, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Al-Zahra, F., Lindström, H., & Kaboré, C. (2026). Feminist Foreign Policy and Gendered Approaches to International Peace Mediation. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 29–42. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001317
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 15–28
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001316
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Menstrual Hygiene Management, Period Poverty, and Educational Equity in Rural Secondary Schools
Names of Author: Wambui Kariuki¹ & Eleanor Vance²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology and Social Work, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya; ²Department of International Education, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Period poverty—defined as the lack of access to affordable menstrual products, clean water, private sanitation facilities, and accurate reproductive education—remains a major driver of school absenteeism among adolescent girls in low-income rural communities. Cultural taboos surrounding menstruation further subject schoolgirls to shame, teasing, and social isolation, undermining their academic confidence and classroom participation. While several governments have introduced free sanitary pad distribution schemes, supply chain bottlenecks and inadequate school infrastructure often limit their long-term impact. This paper evaluates holistic menstrual health interventions across rural secondary schools in western Kenya and Malawi. Utilizing feminist capability theory, the study draws upon participatory workshops with 85 female students, school nurses, and teachers. The findings indicate that combining sustainable menstrual product provision with gender-sensitive water infrastructure and de-stigmatizing peer education significantly improves school attendance and student well-being.
Keywords: Period poverty, menstrual hygiene management, educational equity, adolescent girls, capability theory, rural schools, Kenya, Malawi
Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 05, 2026; Revised: September 08, 2026; Accepted: September 12, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.
Citation: Kariuki, W., & Vance, E. (2026). Menstrual Hygiene Management, Period Poverty, and Educational Equity in Rural Secondary Schools. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 15–28. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001316