Gender Questions

Revisiting Religion and Homophobia: Narratives of Agency and Resilience in Nigerian Queer Fiction

Ayobami Onanuga — 2024-08-28

Religion, especially Christianity and Islam, continues to be indicted for fomenting anti-queer tenors and validating the ostracisation of queer-identifying and gender non-conforming people. The interrogation of the roles of African Traditional Religions (ATRs) in queer narratives is important; thus, I examine Buki Papillon’s An Ordinary Wonder, a text which characterises an intersex protagonist, to underscore the ways ATRs are projected as supportive of diversity and encouraging of agency and resilience against oppressive and defining structures in Nigerian fictional narratives. Drawing from Gloria Anzaldúa’s theories on queerness and spirituality, I submit that ATRs are intricately tied to belief systems and cultures, and may thus avail positive outcomes in the discourse of religions and non-normative identities. As an attempt towards queer advocacy, Papillon’s work is an intervention to decolonise non-normative identities in a society that still suffers from the demonisation of African traditional beliefs and religions.

Equal Representation: Challenges and Opportunities

Beatrice M'mboga Akala — 2024-04-30

This article explores the contours of the highly politicised and gendered spaces in Kenya that female aspirant leaders still struggle to overcome in order to participate fully as citizens. It aims to highlight the exclusionary nature of the political and democratic space in Kenya, notwithstanding constitutional and legal provisions for gender equity. We argue that enjoying a simple majority in terms of overall population figures (50.1%) has not necessarily translated into political capital for Kenyan women, who are perpetually locked out of meaningful political participation due to entrenched patriarchy and sexism. The introduction of political affirmative action through the two-thirds gender rule augmented female representation in parliamentary and other public and legislative offices. This was also meant to regulate the monopoly of any one gender in the occupation of political and public positions. The article utilises secondary data and related theories in supporting the argument that the insignificant number of female parliamentarians is, inter alia, a result of entrenched and skewed power relations. Outdated cultural practices, gender stereotypes, negative rhetoric and ethnicity, patriarchy, and a lack of economic and social capital have indeed adversely affected women’s trajectory in politics. Results of the past two elections (2013 and 2017) have indicated that gender skewing in parliament and other competitive positions in the public service is still an issue to reckon with. This, we observe, is tantamount to non-compliance with constitutional and legal provisions that were geared toward achieving an equal society. We suggest the implementation of the gender rule as envisaged in the 2010 Constitution. A conducive legal framework, coupled with collaborative efforts of relevant state and non-state actors, is paramount. A significant and current discussion should encompass new realignments aimed at disrupting and deconstructing the pervasive gendered relationships.

Exploring the Hidden Curriculum on Gender in Contemporary Picturebooks from the Book Dash Collection

Thato Morweng — 2024-05-07

In this article, I discuss how gender roles are represented in a selection of South African picturebooks, paying particular attention to how these books cumulatively constitute a hidden curriculum. The picturebooks of the Book Dash collection, an online collection of free children’s literature created in South Africa, have been chosen as the case study. The data have been analysed using thematic analysis. Eagly and Wood’s Social Role Theory provides the theoretical framework. Findings from this study suggest that when the picturebooks are read cumulatively, the persistence of gender role stereotypes can be observed in the Book Dash collection, which depicts gendered characters in various ways that could be read as both perpetuating and challenging stereotypes. The recommendation of this study for teacher education is that aspects of the hidden curriculum should be addressed carefully when teaching or selecting children’s literature for children.

Exploring Research Trends and Hotspots: A Bibliometric Analysis of Men who Have Sex with Men in Africa (2010–2021)

Albert Ikekhwa Ikhile — 2024-02-05

Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Africa are more prone to social stigma and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than their counterparts in developed nations. The exposure of MSM to STD threatens the ability of Africa to meet the Agenda 2063 goals of ensuring equitable healthcare for all Africans. Therefore, this study focused on examining research trends and hotspots of MSM in Africa. Countries in Africa with the highest interest in MSM, an aspect of MSM that attracts more research funding and practice, were also examined. This study adopted the bibliometric approach, and articles were extracted from the Scopus database. A total of 184 articles were extracted and subjected to a citation, total link strength, and co-occurrence keyword analysis using VOSviewer software. The findings from the study revealed that the research of MSM in Africa had grown steadily. The highest growth was recorded in 2020, with the interest and hotspots centred on healthcare workers’ psychology, drug abuse, sexual abuse, transmitted disease, and risky sexual behaviour. Based on the research trend and the practice, this research into MSM will be focused on the acceptance and legalisation of MSM sexual behaviours in other countries. The study recommends that African countries enable policies supporting same-sex relationships and equal access to healthcare for MSM. Such policies will also ensure that Africa meets the goals of the Agenda 2063 framework.

Gender-based Violence amongst Black Visually Impaired Women in Intimate Relationships: A Literature Review

Panddy Nsovo Nyathi — 2024-10-16

While activists, policymakers, and gender theorists have developed strategies to address gender-based violence (GBV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) for women and Black women in general, they have not attempted to unpack and strategise interventions for Black women with visual impairment (BWVI) facing GBV in intimate relationships. This literature review sought to explore the reported experiences of GBV amongst BWVI in intimate relationships within Southern Africa, as well as which intervention strategies need to be developed based on their needs. A desktop review of available qualitative and quantitative studies from 2000–2023 was conducted to search for publications to answer the following questions: What are the reported experiences of GBV amongst BWVI in intimate relationships? What interventions need to be developed based on their needs? Intersectionality theory underpinned this study. Literature suggests that BWVI report compounded forms of GBV compared to women without disabilities, given their race, gender, and disability status. However, their experiences of GBV were further complicated by a lack of external support and their dependence on perpetrators, making it harder for them to escape from their abusers. As such, it is suggested that the lack of preventative interventions for BWVI from GBV increases their vulnerability to other forms of abuse. Comprehensive interventions based on an intersectional framework are recommended to develop early risk-reduction and empowering strategies to alleviate GBV amongst BWVI within intimate relationships.

Mixed-method Study on Gender Disparity in Healthcare Leadership Positions in Southern Ethiopia

Getachew Lenko Yimmam — 2024-02-05

Gender disparity in healthcare leadership positions is a multifactorial phenomenon based primarily on how society has been socialised according to gender roles and defined how women and men progress in the workplace, including healthcare. The purpose of this mixed-method study was based on the theory of hostile and benevolent sexism as applied in organisations and explored gender disparity in healthcare leadership positions. Quantitative survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 414 healthcare professionals, and qualitative data were collected from 21 healthcare professionals using a semi-structured interview guide containing open questions. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 25. A descriptive phenomenology using Colaizzi’s (1978) approach was used for the qualitative strand. The findings show a noticeable increase in women’s promotion to low-level leadership positions. The quantitative results were corroborated by the qualitative findings, which confirmed that healthcare workers faced several challenges in getting promoted and that cultural bias persists. Participants of both genders reported that female promotions are negatively impacted by gender roles, inherent gender bias, and family responsibilities. This study documents changes in the way men view women’s abilities in the workplace. Although there are noticeable improvements in low-level leadership positions, serious issues persist, such as the lack of support for female healthcare workers with young families and limited recognition of women’s abilities to perform at the level of their male counterparts. It is crucial to establish gender-sensitive recovery interventions that facilitate women’s progress in leadership positions. Further research and empowerment programmes are necessary to enhance women’s self-assurance.

Whites and democracy in South Africa by Roger Southall (2022)

Nomkhosi Xulu-Gama — 2024-04-23