African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 1–12

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001284

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Portraits of Subversive Females in Two African Texts: Real and Imagined Conquest

Names of Author: Dr. Patience Anim¹

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of IT and Communication Studies (FITCS), University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract:
Most African literary texts and the critical responses to these texts have engaged extensively with the varied means by which women and men have been both complicit in and active perpetrators of gendered oppression, subjugation, and violence. Although the lives of female characters are often portrayed as affected by such challenges, postcolonial African literary texts consistently feature strong female characters who advocate for emancipation and empowerment. At the same time, they make choices that allow them to flourish individually and socially, leading rich, meaningful lives that showcase their conquest over subjugation and patriarchy as “real” and tangible achievements. In contrast, the notion of “imagined” conquest signifies the limitations of, especially, male characters’ efforts, which often fall short in dismantling patriarchal structures. This paper contributes to existing scholarly discourses on the representation of female characters in African literary texts. The analysis draws on the theoretical concept of feminist empathy, taking into account the Nigerian and Zimbabwean postcolonial contexts of the novels to address how Yejide Kilanko’s Daughters Who Walk This Path (2012) and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s This Mournable Body (2018) reflect deeply on ways in which these primary texts recognize, acknowledge and accept the pain and suffering of the female Other marginalized through the practice of patriarchal hegemony. Through close reading, I identify the strategies employed by revolutionary female characters as they subvert patriarchy and assert a constructive image and role for women within the societies depicted in the novels.

Keywords: Feminist empathy, identity, patriarchy, postcolonial novel, gender, conquest, African feminism, Nigerian literature, Zimbabwean literature

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 12, 2026; Revised: June 18, 2026; Accepted: June 19, 2026; Published: August 14, 2026.

Citation: Anim, P. (2026). Portraits of Subversive Females in Two African Texts: Real and Imagined Conquest. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(8), 1–12. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001284

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 281–288

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001283

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Cultural Stigma, Infertility Constructs, and Psychosocial Distress Among Married Women in Rural Uganda

Names of Authors: Dr. Juliet J. Akello¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda

Abstract:
In many pronatalist societies, childbearing is a primary requirement for validating adult female status and marital security. This study investigates the cultural constructions of involuntary childlessness and its direct correlation with psychosocial distress among married women in rural eastern Uganda. Using a cross-sectional qualitative case design, researchers conducted 40 clinical psychometric assessments alongside 15 narrative interviews with women diagnosed with primary or secondary infertility. The quantitative metrics reveal a profound mental health crisis: 86% of childless respondents met diagnostic criteria for severe clinical anxiety and major depressive disorders. The sociological analysis indicates that cultural frameworks completely exempt men from reproductive accountability, placing blame for reproductive failure entirely on women. The thematic findings document severe patterns of structural violence, including domestic banishment, physical assault, and state-sanctioned property dispossession by male in-laws following marital dissolution. Furthermore, infertile women are actively ostracized from vital communal rituals and micro-credit networks, as their childlessness is framed as an ancestral curse. Healthcare access is heavily constrained, with public hospitals lacking affordable diagnostic laparoscopy or reproductive endocrinology services. The study concludes that current maternal health frameworks completely ignore reproductive health complications. We recommend introducing community-level mental health counseling, establishing affordable public fertility clinics, and launching public education campaigns to reduce social stigma.

Keywords: Infertility, Social Stigma, Psychosocial Distress, Pronatalism, Domestic Abuse, Uganda

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 15, 2026; Revised: June 20, 2026; Accepted: July 15, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Akello, J. J. (2026). Cultural Stigma, Infertility Constructs, and Psychosocial Distress Among Married Women in Rural Uganda. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 281–288. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001283

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 273–280

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001282

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Customary Land Dispossession and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Widows in Rural Southern Zambia

Names of Authors: Dr. Mutinta M. Mwamba¹, Prof. Beatrice K. Mubanga¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract:
Despite progressive national land reforms designed to protect gender equity, rural women remain highly vulnerable to asset dispossession. This study evaluates the socio-economic drivers and long-term impacts of property grabbing targeting widows under customary land tenure systems in Zambia's Southern Province. Using a mixed-methods structural design, researchers collected data from 400 widows alongside 20 key informant interviews with traditional headmen and statutory magistrates. The quantitative regression metrics demonstrate that 78% of the surveyed widows experienced immediate land or asset dispossession by male in-laws following their husband's death. Customary practices prioritize patriarchal lineage preservation, rendering statutory legal protections completely ineffective in rural communities. The empirical data show a strong positive correlation between land dispossession and household food insecurity, with affected widow-headed households exhibiting a 55% lower nutritional index score (p < 0.01). Qualitative narratives reveal that widows who seek formal legal remedies face severe social sanctions, including public shaming, physical eviction, and witchcraft accusations by village elders. Traditional headmen view independent female land titles as subversions of ancestral heritage. The study argues that top-down legislation will fail without deep institutional transformations inside local customary councils. We recommend legally binding traditional courts to statutory human rights charters, implementing mobile paralegal programs for rural widows, and criminalizing property-grabbing behaviors.

Keywords: Property Grabbing, Customary Law, Widows, Economic Security, Land Ownership, Zambia

Manuscript Timeline: Received: March 05, 2026; Revised: May 24, 2026; Accepted: June 28, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Mwamba, M. M., & Mubanga, B. K. (2026). Customary Land Dispossession and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Widows in Rural Southern Zambia. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 273–280. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001282

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 257–264

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001280

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Gender Representation and Media Bias Targeting Female Politicians in the Tunisian Press

Names of Authors: Dr. Ines B. Slimane¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l'Information, University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia

Abstract:
Media framing plays a defining role in shaping public electability perceptions and political career longevity. This study conducts a critical discourse analysis examining the gendered representation of female parliamentarians across six major Tunisian newspapers between 2024 and 2026. A total of 280 political features and editorial columns were coded using an intersectional qualitative matrix. The text analysis reveals a highly gendered framing strategy that consistently marginalizes female legislative expertise. Female politicians were systematically evaluated based on their physical appearance, fashion choices, and domestic marital status in 64% of the sampled press coverage, whereas male politicians were framed almost exclusively through their policy positions and leadership capabilities. Quantitative data show that journalists quote male sources four times more often than female peers on macroeconomic and national security debates, restricting female legislators to discussions regarding family welfare or social affairs (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the press regularly frames assertive female political rhetoric as emotional instability or divisive hyper-partisanship, reinforcing historical patriarchal biases. The study concludes that institutionalized media bias actively deters young women from seeking political careers. We recommend the introduction of independent media gender-monitoring councils, the institutionalization of non-sexist journalism training manuals, and the enforcement of equal-time media coverage during national electoral cycles.

Keywords: Media Representation, Political Leadership, Discourse Analysis, Gender Stereotypes, News Framing, Tunisia

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 10, 2026; Revised: June 22, 2026; Accepted: July 19, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Slimane, I. B. (2026). Gender Representation and Media Bias Targeting Female Politicians in the Tunisian Press. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 257–264. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001280

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 265–272

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001281

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Evaluation of Post-Abortion Care Accessibility and Clinical Quality for Adolescents in Rural Madagascar

Names of Authors: Dr. Lalao N. Razafindratsima¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institut National de la Santé Publique et Communautaire, University of Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar

Abstract:
Adolescent maternal mortality remains a major public health crisis in Madagascar, often exacerbated by complications from unsafe abortions. This study evaluates the accessibility and quality of post-abortion care (PAC) services for adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 in rural communities of the Atsinanana region. A cross-sectional facility audit was conducted across 35 primary healthcare centers, supplemented by 40 narrative interviews with adolescent PAC recipients. The quantitative indicators reveal structural gaps: only 18% of surveyed facilities possessed complete PAC packages, which require emergency manual vacuum aspiration equipment, essential antibiotics, and post-abortion contraceptive options. The thematic analysis of patient narratives shows that adolescent girls face severe institutional barriers, including verbal abuse, moral condemnation, and breaches of confidentiality by healthcare providers. This systemic hostility delays care-seeking behaviors, with adolescents presenting at facilities an average of 4.2 ± 1.5 days after the onset of complications, significantly increasing the risk of sepsis and long-term infertility (p < 0.05). Furthermore, financial dependency forces many adolescents to seek cheaper, dangerous traditional alternatives before arriving at formal clinics. The study concludes that standard reproductive health policies are failing vulnerable adolescents due to cultural biases among clinicians. It recommends mandatory youth-friendly training for rural health workers, removing cost barriers for adolescent emergency care, and establishing confidential mobile reproductive health services.

Keywords: Post-Abortion Care, Adolescent Health, Reproductive Rights, Healthcare Quality, Rural Madagascar, Institutional Barriers

Manuscript Timeline: Received: March 01, 2026; Revised: May 12, 2026; Accepted: June 15, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Razafindratsima, L. N. (2026). Evaluation of Post-Abortion Care Accessibility and Clinical Quality for Adolescents in Rural Madagascar. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 265–272. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001281

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 249–256

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001279

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Algorithmic Exclusion and Financial Gender Biases within Nigerian Fintech Micro-Lending Apps

Names of Authors: Dr. Olumide E. Balogun¹, Dr. Chidinma O. Nze²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Computer Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; ²African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract:
This paper investigates automated credit-scoring algorithms utilized by smartphone-based digital micro-lending platforms in urban Nigeria, focusing on algorithmic gender bias. Utilizing a mixed-methods code-audit framework, we evaluated three commercial lending models with an anonymized historical dataset of 35,000 credit applications. The quantitative modeling reveals that female applicants are assigned a 32% lower creditworthiness score on average compared to male peers with identical income levels (p < 0.01). This automated disparity stems from predictive variables that penalize fragmented retail transaction histories and a lack of formal utilities registration, patterns highly common among informal female traders. Furthermore, machine learning pipelines use smartphone metadata proxies, such as contact-list sizes and digital wallet variety, that inadvertently reinforce systemic patriarchal exclusions. Qualitative focus groups with female merchants showed that automated algorithmic rejections offer no transparency, preventing applicants from understanding or contesting errors. This digital barrier leaves women locked out of short-term business capital, widening the economic gender gap within Nigeria's expanding fintech ecosystem. The study concludes that technological neutrality is a myth when models are trained on structurally biased datasets. We recommend implementing mandatory algorithmic fairness audits, establishing independent financial technology oversight boards, and integrating alternative qualitative data points into digital credit assessments.

Keywords: Fintech Lending, Algorithmic Bias, Machine Learning, Financial Inclusion, Market Women, Nigeria

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 02, 2026; Revised: June 10, 2026; Accepted: July 14, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Balogun, O. E., & Nze, C. O. (2026). Algorithmic Exclusion and Financial Gender Biases within Nigerian Fintech Micro-Lending Apps. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 249–256. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001279