African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 241–248

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001278

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Help-Seeking Constraints in Urban Post-Conflict Angola

Names of Authors: Dr. Ana-Maria J. Santos¹, Prof. Manuel B. Da Costa²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Faculty of Social Sciences, Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, Angola; ²Center for Human Rights, Catholic University of Angola, Luanda, Angola

Abstract:
This study investigates the prevalence, psychosocial predictors, and legal barriers related to intimate partner violence (IPV) in urban post-conflict Luanda, Angola. Utilizing a mixed-methods structural equation design, data were gathered from a randomized household sample of 540 women living in informal settlements. The quantitative metrics reveal that 58% of the surveyed women experienced physical, psychological, or economic abuse within the past 12 months. Women who lack an independent personal income face an 82% higher probability of experiencing regular spousal violence (p < 0.01). The historical legacy of the decades-long civil conflict has institutionalized aggressive militarized masculinities, which directly manifest as domestic control. Qualitative narratives illuminate a disturbing economic feedback loop: women who attempt to launch informal micro-enterprises are frequently subjected to retaliatory violence from husbands who perceive financial autonomy as a threat to their traditional authority. Consequently, 38% of female entrepreneurs abandoned their businesses due to spousal sabotage. The institutional response is weak, with local police treating IPV cases as private family matters rather than criminal offenses. The study argues that economic empowerment initiatives for women in post-conflict zones must be integrated with behavioral change workshops for male partners. It recommends establishing protected banking products for female merchants and specialized domestic violence police desks nationwide.

Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence, Economic Dependency, Post-Conflict Masculinities, Luanda, Financial Agency, Angola

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 12, 2026; Revised: July 15, 2026; Accepted: August 11, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Santos, A. J., & Da Costa, M. B. (2026). Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Help-Seeking Constraints in Urban Post-Conflict Angola. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 241–248. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001278

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 233–240

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001277

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Gendered Vulnerabilities and Financial Vulnerability Indicators Among Women Artisan Gold Miners in Burkina Faso

Names of Authors: Dr. Fatouma B. Sanou¹, Prof. Moussa L. Ouédraogo²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institut des Sciences de la Société, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; ²Département de Sociologie, Université Norbert Zongo, Koudougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract:
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector in Burkina Faso is a vital source of income but operates under extreme precarity. This study analyzes the gendered divisions of labor, chemical exposure risks, and financial exploitation experienced by female artisanal miners (or orpailleuses) in the Southwestern region. Using a cross-sectional occupational health framework, data were gathered from 380 female workers across five mining camps. The laboratory diagnostics show that women exhibit dangerous hair and blood concentrations of mercury and lead due to manual ore-crushing practices performed without personal protective equipment (p < 0.05). The socio-economic tracking reveals that traditional patriarchal cartels restrict women from direct mine-shaft ownership, relegating them instead to lower-paid processing roles. Quantitative regression models show that female miners earn 65% less weekly income than male peers for identical hours of physical labor. The thematic narratives show that financial dependency forces women to accept predatory credit lines from mineral buyers, trapping them in endless debt cycles. Furthermore, local security architectures ignore gender-based violence inside mining camps. The study argues that mining formalization programs fail because they are designed for male ownership structures. We recommend establishing women-only mining cooperatives, distributing low-cost mercury-free processing tools, and launching mobile clinical screening hubs at all major ASGM sites.

Keywords: Artisanal Mining, Mercury Exposure, Gender Division of Labor, Financial Exploitation, Cooperatives, Burkina Faso

Manuscript Timeline: Received: January 14, 2026; Revised: April 11, 2026; Accepted: May 20, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Sanou, F. B., & Ouédraogo, M. L. (2026). Gendered Vulnerabilities and Financial Vulnerability Indicators Among Women Artisan Gold Miners in Burkina Faso. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 233–240. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001277

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 225–232

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001276

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Socio-Economic Impact of Period Poverty on Secondary School Attendance and Performance in Rural Uganda

Names of Authors: Dr. Florence N. Nakato¹, Dr. Joseph M. Mukasa¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Education, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Abstract:
A lack of access to sanitary products presents a major structural barrier to female education across sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates the direct impact of period poverty on school attendance, academic performance, and psychological well-being among adolescent girls in rural schools within the Kamuli district of Uganda. Utilizing a longitudinal cluster tracking design over an academic calendar year, researchers monitored 520 schoolgirls aged 13 to 17. The quantitative data demonstrate that girls lacking access to modern menstrual products miss an average of 4.2 ± 1.1 school days per month, resulting in a 35% decline in terminal examination performance metrics (p < 0.01). The regression modeling indicates that menstrual absenteeism is the single strongest predictor of early school dropout among rural adolescents. Qualitative focus groups reveal that the absence of functional water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure inside school premises causes intense fear of public staining, leading to severe anxiety and social withdrawal. Furthermore, cultural taboos prevent open discussions, leaving girls to use unhygienic alternatives such as old rags or leaves, which increases reproductive tract infections by 52%. The study concludes that current education policies are failing adolescent girls. We recommend enacting permanent zero-rated tax policies on sanitary towels, mandating WASH upgrades in all rural public schools, and distributing free menstrual health kits nationwide.

Keywords: Period Poverty, School Attendance, WASH Infrastructure, Adolescent Girls, Academic Performance, Uganda

Manuscript Timeline: Received: March 01, 2026; Revised: May 19, 2026; Accepted: June 25, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Nakato, F. N., & Mukasa, J. M. (2026). Socio-Economic Impact of Period Poverty on Secondary School Attendance and Performance in Rural Uganda. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 225–232. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001276

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 217–224

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001275

Article Type: Review Article

Title: Deconstructing Masculinities in Post-Apartheid South African Cinema: A Critical Queer Feminist Critique

Names of Authors: Dr. Sibonelo K. Khumalo¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Media and Cultural Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Abstract:
This paper offers a critical review of the cinematic representation of masculinities in post-apartheid South African feature films produced between 2010 and 2026. Reviewing 45 selected films through a queer feminist theoretical framework, the study tracks the visual evolution of male identity across different racial and class boundaries. The analysis reveals that early post-apartheid cinema heavily relied on hyper-masculine, militarized tropes to rebuild post-colonial national identities, which reinforced patriarchal domination and heteronormative structures. The study traces how contemporary directors have begun to subvert these rigid tropes by introducing complex narratives that portray male vulnerability, queer desires, and alternative domestic roles. However, the findings indicate a persistent commercial bias: large production companies regularly prioritize films that market traditional, aggressive Zulu or Afrikaner masculinities to international distributors to maximize profits. The thematic analysis shows that alternative expressions of manhood are often relegated to low-budget, independent film spaces, which limits their public reach. The study highlights significant gaps in media research regarding how film consumption shapes gender attitudes among young male viewers. It concludes by outlining a new framework for cultural studies that encourages media funding institutions to support content that actively deconstructs toxic masculinity constructs.

Keywords: Cinema Studies, Masculinities, Cultural Representation, Queer Feminism, Media Bias, South Africa

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 10, 2026; Revised: July 02, 2026; Accepted: July 29, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Khumalo, S. K. (2026). Deconstructing Masculinities in Post-Apartheid South African Cinema: A Critical Queer Feminist Critique. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 217–224. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001275

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 209–216

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001274

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Customary Marriage Registration Gaps and Property Insecurity Among Rural Women in Northern Mozambique

Names of Authors: Dr. Amélia S. Mondlane¹, Dr. Lucas J. Sitoe²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Faculty of Law, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique; ²Center for African Studies, UniZambeze, Beira, Mozambique

Abstract:
Despite legislative frameworks recognizing customary unions, millions of rural women remain unprotected due to low formal documentation rates. This study analyzes the systemic causes of marriage registration gaps and the resulting economic vulnerabilities among married women in rural parts of Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces. Relying on an empirical socio-legal design, researchers surveyed 480 women living in traditional customary marriages and audited 30 community civil registries. The empirical findings reveal that only 8% of the marriages were formally registered with the state, primarily due to high travel costs, bureaucratic complexity, and widespread illiteracy. The quantitative data demonstrate a strong correlation between unregistered status and property dispossession, with undocumented widows facing an 84% probability of land eviction by patriarchal lineage councils (p < 0.01). The thematic analysis highlights that traditional authorities deliberately discourage formal civil state registration to preserve patriarchal control over community asset distribution. Furthermore, women lack awareness of statutory family laws that grant equal property rights regardless of registration status. The study argues that top-down judicial reforms will remain ineffective without localized institutional intervention. We recommend launching mobile civil registration units, subsidizing marriage documentation fees, and legally binding traditional rulers to record all customary unions within national demographic databases.

Keywords: Customary Marriage, Land Rights, Civil Registration, Widows, Economic Vulnerability, Mozambique

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 20, 2026; Revised: May 12, 2026; Accepted: June 20, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Mondlane, A. S., & Sitoe, L. J. (2026). Customary Marriage Registration Gaps and Property Insecurity Among Rural Women in Northern Mozambique. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 209–216. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001274

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 201–208

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001273

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Intersectional Barriers to Safe Maternal Healthcare for Refugee Women in Urban South Africa

Names of Authors: Dr. Thandiwe L. Sibanda¹, Prof. Nomvula Z. Khumalo¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract:
Refugee and asylum-seeking women face unique vulnerabilities when navigating foreign healthcare structures. This study evaluates the intersectional barriers, institutional discrimination, and quality of maternal healthcare services accessed by female migrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Utilizing a cross-sectional facility survey of 350 migrant mothers, alongside 25 narrative interviews, the research maps the clinical access index. The quantitative findings indicate that 72% of respondents experienced severe medical xenophobia, characterized by verbal abuse, delayed treatment, and unlawful financial demands by clinic administrative staff. Logistic regression analysis reveals that a lack of formal documentation increased the likelihood of being denied emergency obstetric care by 5.5 times (p < 0.01), directly violating statutory constitutional protections. The thematic analysis of patient narratives shows that language barriers and cultural isolation worsen maternal anxiety, leading to a 40% higher rate of unmonitored home deliveries compared to local citizens. Furthermore, public health providers frequently display structural biases, falsely accusing foreign women of overburdening domestic welfare systems. The study concludes that standard maternal health policies fail to protect vulnerable migrant populations due to a lack of institutional oversight. We recommend implementing mandatory anti-xenophobia training for clinical staff, deploying multilingual community health navigators, and establishing anonymous compliance reporting portals at all municipal clinics.

Keywords: Maternal Healthcare, Refugee Women, Medical Xenophobia, Intersectionality, Health Equity, South Africa

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 05, 2026; Revised: June 15, 2026; Accepted: July 18, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Sibanda, T. L., & Khumalo, N. Z. (2026). Intersectional Barriers to Safe Maternal Healthcare for Refugee Women in Urban South Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 201–208. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001273