The Institute of Global Value Inquiry (IGVI) is pleased to announce an open call for applications from scholars specializing in African feminist philosophies to join the African Gender Equality Research Group. This pioneering initiative seeks to assemble leading researchers from across Africa to engage in rigorous, critical, and innovative investigations into African philosophies, cultural values, and gender norms within a global framework.
Objective and Scope of the Research Group
The African Gender Equality Research Group is dedicated to advancing scholarship on African feminist philosophies, gender equality discourses, women’s empowerment, decolonial thought, and Indigenous knowledge systems related to gender justice. Through a collaborative research network, the group aims to:
- Address socio-cultural, political, and economic barriers to gender equality in Africa.
- Investigate traditional African ethical principles and their intersections with global value systems.
- Critically analyze Indigenous knowledge systems and their contributions to gender justice.
- Develop scholarly and policy-oriented frameworks that support women’s empowerment across diverse African contexts.
By fostering intellectual exchange within Africa and between Africa and other global regions, this research group seeks to contribute to the growing discourse on gender equality through an African-centered lens, amplifying voices from the Global South in global debates on feminism and gender justice.
Key Activities and Responsibilities
Scholars selected for this initiative will actively engage in collaborative research, knowledge production, and advocacy work. The research group will undertake the following key activities:
- Conduct independent and collective research on African feminist philosophies and gender equality.
- Engage in critical dialogues exploring decolonial methodologies and African feminist epistemologies.
- Organize and participate in two annual conferences, where research findings and innovative gender frameworks will be presented and debated.
- Contribute to the Journal of Global Value Inquiry, IGVI’s official publication, by submitting research articles, essays, and analytical commentaries.
- Participate in policy discussions and public advocacy initiatives to influence gender equality policies across African societies.
Each selected scholar will receive a monthly stipend of 800 Euros for a period of four years, enabling them to focus on high-impact research and contribute meaningfully to gender studies within an African philosophical and sociopolitical context.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for this prestigious opportunity, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be currently based in Africa and affiliated with an African university or research institution.
- Hold a PhD or equivalent doctorate in philosophy or a cognate discipline within the humanities.
- Demonstrate a specialization in gender equality research, decoloniality, feminist philosophies, epistemologies, and methodologies.
Female scholars and feminist philosophers from Anglophone West Africa are particularly encouraged to apply.
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit the following documents to info@igvi.org no later than 28 February 2025:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (maximum six pages).
- List of publications detailing books, journal articles, and relevant scholarly contributions.
- Three to five written works showcasing research on values and norms (maximum five journal-length articles or two book-length works).
- A six-page summary of the candidate’s expertise in gender equality research.
- A two-page research proposal outlining intended research within one or more of the thematic areas listed below.
Contact for Enquiries
For further information regarding this call, prospective applicants may contact Dr. Constance Awinpoka Akurugu, Senior Researcher in charge of the African Gender Equality Research Group, at cakurugu@gmail.com.
The Institute of Global Value Inquiry (IGVI) is a newly established research institute committed to advancing cross-disciplinary scholarship on global values and norms. IGVI promotes intellectual inquiry into which values and norms are universally shared (or contested) and fosters decentralized research collaborations, especially with scholars and institutions from the Global South. The institute prioritizes perspectives from Africa, Latin America, and other historically underrepresented regions in academic discourse. For more details, visit www.igvi.org.
About the African Gender Equality Research Group
This research initiative seeks to critically explore African philosophies and cultural traditions concerning gender norms, roles, ethics, and values within the larger framework of global value systems. The research group will contribute to the discourse by:
- Investigating African Indigenous perspectives on gender relations, equality, and justice.
- Understanding historical and contemporary gender norms within African societies.
- Examining decolonial feminist approaches that challenge dominant Western frameworks of feminism.
- Developing methodologies that center African feminist epistemologies in global discussions on gender justice.
The ultimate goal of this initiative is to carve out intellectual and cultural resources that can inform policy, advocacy, and grassroots movements for gender equality and women’s empowerment across Africa.
The African Gender Equality Research Group is structured around the following key research themes:
A. Philosophical and Theoretical Issues
- African Indigenous philosophies and ethics on gender norms and values.
- The role of African philosophy and Indigenous knowledge systems in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Conceptualizing gender equality in Africa within the context of global values and ethics.
- The historical evolution and contemporary relevance of African Indigenous gender knowledge systems.
B. Feminist Philosophies, Epistemologies, and Methodologies
- Epistemic freedoms and injustices in African women’s studies.
- Theoretical and practical applications of decolonial African feminist epistemologies.
- The intersection of feminist research methodologies with African philosophical traditions.
- African feminist knowledge systems and their impact on global feminist movements.
Key Research Questions
The research group will seek to address the following critical questions:
- How do traditional African ethical principles and values align with and support African feminist philosophies?
- In what ways can African feminist philosophies and Indigenous knowledge contribute to global gender equality frameworks?
- What intellectual and cultural resources exist within African philosophical traditions for empowering women and promoting gender equity?
- How do African perspectives on gender justice intersect with international feminist discourses and global ethical considerations?
- What are the implications of African value systems for gender policy, activism, and advocacy at both local and global levels?
For more detailed information about this research project, visit: https://igvi.org/african-gender-equality-research-group/.
The African Research (AR) Index is a comprehensive scholarly directory and database focused explicitly on journal publishers that publish and disseminate African research.
