African Journal of Women in Leadership and Governance
African Journal of Women in Leadership and Governance is a peer‑reviewed scholarly journal published under the Pan‑African Research Journals (PARJ) platform, advancing African‑centred and global research.
This qualitative study investigates the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI) and data governance in the Kingdom of Lesotho, with a focus on their gendered and societal implications. Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with policymakers, technologists, and women community leaders, the research explores perceptions of data sovereignty, algorithmic bias, and the erosion of traditional governance structures. The findings reveal a critical tension between the pursuit of technological modernisation and the protection of communal values, highlighting how women’s leadership is pivotal in navigating this landscape. The discussion argues for a contextually grounded, feminist data governance framework that centres Basotho social norms and promotes equitable development. The conclusion offers policy recommendations for an inclusive, ethically informed approach to AI adoption in Lesotho and similar African societies.
Copyright (c) 2022 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Afrofuturism, Gender, and the Governance of Imaginaries
{ "background": "Afrofuturism, as a critical cultural and political aesthetic, offers a significant but underutilised framework for analysing the construction of African futures. Its intersection with gender and governance, particularly in the context of national planning and leadership, remains a nascent area of scholarly inquiry within African Studies.", "purpose and objectives": "This study aims to comparatively analyse how gendered Afrofuturist imaginaries are articulated and contested within official governance documents and the creative outputs of women artists and activists. It seeks to identify the dominant themes, silences, and potential sites for transformative governance.", "methodology": "Employing a comparative discourse analysis, the study examines two distinct corpora: a set of national development and vision documents, and a curated collection of visual art, literature, and digital media produced by women creators during a recent five-year period.", "findings": "A central finding is the stark contrast between the techno-optimistic, homogenising future projected in state documents and the nuanced, embodied, and often restorative futures envisioned by women creatives. Specifically, over 70% of the analysed artistic works centred themes of ecological renewal and communal care, elements largely absent from the official governance narrative.", "conclusion": "The study concludes that Afrofuturism reveals a critical disjuncture in the governance of national futures, where state-led imaginaries frequently marginalise the gendered, ecological, and socially embedded perspectives essential for inclusive and sustainable governance.", "recommendations": "It is recommended that future national planning processes formally integrate mechanisms for engaging with diverse artistic and community-based futurist practices. Policymakers should establish advisory bodies comprising artists and cultural practitioners to inform long-term strategic visioning.", "key words": "Afrofuturism, governance, gender, imaginaries, discourse analysis, Tanzania", "contribution statement": "This paper provides a novel methodological framework for comparative policy analysis by treating artistic production as a co-constitutive dataset alongside official government texts, thereby expanding the empirical basis for studying
Copyright (c) 2023 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This survey research investigates the processes of cultural adaptation and the mechanisms of resilience employed by Angolan migrant women within Southern African host societies. It presents a mixed-methods analysis of data from a structured survey of 300 participants, examining key factors including social network formation, economic integration strategies, and the negotiation of cultural identity. The findings demonstrate that these women employ multifaceted resilience strategies, which are significantly influenced by the strength of their transnational and local social ties. Crucially, the analysis delineates the pivotal role of women’s leadership in community-based organisations for fostering cohesion and navigating systemic barriers. The study contributes a nuanced, gendered perspective to migration literature in the African context. It concludes with evidence-based insights for policymakers, suggesting that integration frameworks must formally recognise and support these informal leadership structures and resilience mechanisms to enhance migrant welfare and social cohesion.
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Collaborative Governance and Sanitation Infrastructure
In Dar es Salaam, informal settlements face critical sanitation deficits. Although women-led civil society organisations (WCSOs) are pivotal in addressing these challenges, the structure and efficacy of their collaborative networks with formal city planning authorities remain poorly understood. This study examines the patterns and quality of collaboration between WCSOs and municipal planning departments in urban sanitation governance. It aims to map the formal and informal network structures, assess their influence on project outcomes, and identify barriers to effective partnership. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative social network analysis (SNA) with qualitative enquiry. A survey of 42 organisations mapped inter-organisational ties and calculated centrality metrics. Subsequently, 24 in-depth interviews with key actors were conducted to interpret the SNA findings and explore underlying relational dynamics. The network analysis revealed a centralised, brokerage-dependent structure, with 72% of resource and information flows channelled through only three key WCSOs. Qualitative data elucidated a recurring theme of ‘conditional inclusion,’ whereby WCSOs were consulted on operational service delivery but systematically excluded from upstream budgetary and infrastructural planning decisions. The findings demonstrate that collaborative networks are characterised by asymmetric power, which limits the transformative potential of WCSOs and reinforces existing hierarchies. Their inclusion remains instrumental rather than substantive. To strengthen governance, municipal authorities should institutionalise co-design mechanisms with WCSOs from the project inception phase, while donor programmes must support capacity building for network weaving to decentralise brokerage roles and build resilient, redundant ties.
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Implementing Random-Field Reliability Analysis in MATLAB for Soil-Nailed Slope Stability
This paper presents a complete, reproducible MATLAB workflow for random-field (RF) reliability analysis of soil-nailed slopes. The implementation integrates four main software modules: a data-structure builder (inputData), a Karhunen–Loève random field generator (randomfield), a slice-based slope stability solver (soilCalc), and interchangeable reliability engines (FORM via slopeBeta; Monte Carlo Simulation via a custom MCS driver; Adaptive Radial Based Importance Sampling via ARBIS). The allData structure serves as the central data carrier, passing geometric, soil, nail, and probabilistic parameters between modules without global variables. Worked code excerpts from each module are presented alongside annotated pseudocode. Results demonstrate that spatially variable cohesion and friction angle, discretised over a 10-slice mesh, yield probability of failure estimates between 7% and 46%—values that conventional scalar-parameter FORM analysis cannot reproduce. The workflow is designed for transparency and replication; each function is self-contained with well-defined inputs and outputs.
MATLAB · random field · Karhunen–Loève expansion · slope stability · soil nailing · Monte Carlo simulation · ARBIS · allData structure · reliability workflow
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Livestock Insurance in Kenyan Rift Valley Cattle Farmers
Livestock insurance programmes have emerged as a crucial strategy for risk management in rural economies, particularly among cattle farmers in Kenya's Rift Valley region where livestock is a key source of income and wealth. The research employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative data from survey responses with qualitative insights through semi-structured interviews. Data was collected from 150 randomly selected farmers across three districts within the Rift Valley. A significant proportion (62%) of surveyed farmers reported experiencing losses due to livestock diseases and accidents, highlighting the need for insurance coverage. However, despite high perceived risks, only 38% had enrolled in any form of livestock insurance programme. The findings suggest that while there is a clear demand for insurance among Rift Valley cattle farmers, uptake remains low. This could be attributed to financial barriers and lack of awareness about the benefits and mechanisms of livestock insurance. To enhance coverage rates, it is recommended that policy makers develop targeted communication strategies, provide subsidies for farmers, and integrate livestock insurance into existing agricultural support programmes.
Copyright (c) 2010 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Traditional Governance Structures and Modern Democracy in Southern Africa
Southern Africa's traditional governance structures have coexisted alongside modern democratic processes for decades. This study aims to explore and compare these two systems in Ethiopia. The study employs a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative surveys among local communities and government officials. Data is collected through structured questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews to capture nuanced insights into governance dynamics. A significant proportion (45%) of respondents reported traditional practices influencing modern democratic processes, particularly in decision-making structures and community engagement mechanisms. Traditional governance structures significantly impact the operation of modern democracy in Ethiopia, highlighting the need for more inclusive policy frameworks that integrate indigenous knowledge systems. Governments should develop strategies to enhance dialogue between traditional leaders and elected officials, fostering mutual respect and collaborative problem-solving. Policy makers are encouraged to incorporate traditional practices into democratic processes where relevant. Traditional Governance, Modern Democracy, Southern Africa, Ethiopia, Mixed-Methods Study
TECHNICAL PAPER · GEOTECHNICAL COMPUTATIONAL METHODS
it focuses on the structural features that, in his view, have the greatest explanatory power, while bracketing the enormous diversity of state characteristics, domestic politics, and specific issues that distinguish individual states and relationships. Morton Kaplan, writing from a systems-theoretic perspective, defines the international system as a pattern of relations among states that can be characterised by a set of rules governing the behaviour of states within the system and a set of transformation rules describing how the system changes when its rules are violated or when its structure is disrupted. Kaplan identified six distinct types of international system — including the balance of power system, the loose bipolar system, the tight bipolar system, the universal system, the hierarchical system, and the unit veto system — each characterised by a distinctive pattern of behaviour rules and structural features. Kaplan's approach is more complex and typologically rich than Waltz's, but it has been criticised for being overly abstract and difficult to apply empirically. Hedley Bull, writing from the perspective of the English School, defines the international system as a society of states — what he calls the 'anarchical society' — governed by common rules and institutions that states have created to manage their relations with one another. For Bull, the international system is not merely a mechanical system driven by power politics: it is a social system in which states share certain common interests and values, recognise common rules, and participate in common institutions. This emphasis on the social and normative dimensions of the international system distinguishes Bull's approach from that of the structural realists and provides the foundation for the English S
Implementing Random-Field Reliability Analysis in MATLAB for Soil-Nailed Slope Stability: A Reproducible Workflow
This is a short local smoke test article for the production dashboard.
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The Nile Basin is a critical water resource for over 100 million people across ten countries, including Eritrea. Water scarcity and its exacerbation of conflicts have been recurring issues in this region. No empirical data was analysed; instead, a qualitative approach was employed to examine existing literature and expert opinions on conflict mitigation strategies in the region. While Eritrea holds a pivotal role in managing the Nile Basin's water resources, current conflict mitigation efforts require more robust institutional frameworks and international cooperation to be effective. Eritrea should advocate for regional institutions that facilitate equitable water distribution, while also engaging in diplomatic dialogues with other riparian states to foster trust and mutual understanding.
Copyright (c) 2009 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Land Reform and Socio-Economic Dynamics in East Africa
São Tomé and Príncipe is a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, where land reform has been implemented to address issues related to land tenure security and economic development. Qualitative research methods were employed, including semi-structured interviews with farmers, focus group discussions, and document analysis of land records. The study also utilised secondary data from government archives and international organizations. The findings indicate that while the implementation of land reform has led to an increase in agricultural productivity by 20% in some regions, there is still a significant disparity in income distribution among different social groups. Land reforms have had mixed effects on socio-economic dynamics in São Tomé and Príncipe. While they have improved access to land for marginalized communities, disparities in income remain evident. Future policies should focus on strengthening the legal framework governing land tenure, enhancing agricultural extension services, and providing support to small-scale farmers to mitigate economic risks associated with changes in land ownership. São Tomé and Príncipe, Land Reform, Socio-Economic Dynamics, Agricultural Productivity, Income Distribution
Theoretical Foundations for Evaluating Early Childhood Education Programmes among Female Students in Northern Ghana
Early childhood education (ECE) in northern Ghana is crucial for addressing educational disparities among female students, particularly those from rural backgrounds. However, the effectiveness of such programmes has not been extensively evaluated. Theoretical analysis will be employed to review existing literature, theories, and frameworks relevant to ECE and gender studies. A qualitative thematic approach will be used to identify key themes from programme evaluations. The theoretical framework identifies critical areas for future empirical research, including the role of parental involvement and community support in enhancing ECE effectiveness. Programme developers should integrate gender-sensitive curricula and engage local communities to improve educational outcomes among female students. Future studies should focus on longitudinal impact assessments.
Copyright (c) 2008 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Gender-Sensitive Food Aid Distribution Strategies in Sierra Leone's Post-Election Conflict Zones
Sierra Leone's post-election conflict zones face significant food insecurity due to ongoing instability and economic challenges. The study employed a mixed-method approach combining quantitative survey data with qualitative interviews to assess changes in food security and nutrition status among women and children in targeted communities. Women reported improved access to nutritious foods after the implementation of gender-sensitive strategies, with a notable increase in consumption of fortified cereals by 20% compared to pre-intervention levels. Gender-sensitive food aid distribution has shown promise in enhancing nutrition outcomes for women and children in Sierra Leone’s conflict zones, although further research is needed to evaluate long-term impacts. Continuation and expansion of gender-sensitive interventions are recommended to address persistent challenges related to food security and nutrition within vulnerable populations.