A Mixed-Methods Study of Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Data Governance in The Gambia: An African Feminist Perspective

This mixed-methods study formulates a feminist, contextually grounded framework for ethical artificial intelligence (AI) and data governance in The Gambia. It confronts the core problem that prevailing, Western-centric AI ethics paradigms fail to engage with the specific socio-cultural realities, colonial data legacies, and gendered power dynamics prevalent in many African societies. Employing a sequential exploratory design, the research first conducted a critical discourse analysis of national policy documents and institutional AI strategies. This qualitative phase informed subsequent semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 42 participants, including women technologists, development professionals, activists, and community leaders. A quantitative survey of 150 Gambians then measured broader perceptions of data privacy, algorithmic bias, and digital agency. The integrated analysis reveals a central tension between AI’s developmental potential and its risks of perpetuating gendered inequalities and new forms of data extractivism. Findings underscore the critical importance of community accountability, contextual integrity, and feminist principles of relationality in governance models. The study concludes that ethical AI in The Gambia necessitates a transformative approach which actively centres African women’s epistemic sovereignty and dismantles neo-colonial data practices. It contributes to African Studies by proposing a rigorous, feminist-informed framework for AI governance that champions African women’s leadership in shaping equitable technological futures.