Gender Research in Africa: Theoretical and Methodological Pathways

This book considers how methodologies, theories and analytical frameworks from gender studies can be applied to African societies’ cultural, social, and historical contexts. The book advocates for the importance of feminist research practices which highlight women and their lived experiences within a gendered world in Africa. Gender studies has grown in prominence over recent decades, rooted in an awareness that gender is no longer just an issue in the margins but core to the analysis of the interaction of power, identity, and social relations in the world. This book considers how the field can evolve further in a postcolonial context, integrating indigenous and local knowledge systems and practices. Covering how gender is contested in African settings, the book outlines how researchers can approach the ways in which social and racial categories, class, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status intersect to produce gender-based violence. Overall, this book shows how gender-sensitive methodologies can help researchers to gain deeper insights into discrimination, inequalities, and gender-based violence, and thus contribute to better-adapted social and legal reforms.