Intersectionality in African research: findings from a systematic literature review

Abstract

Intersectionality is a term used to describe the ways in which social identities - such as gender, sexuality, age, race, class, and disability, among others - are interconnected and create unique experiences of oppression and discrimination for marginalised persons. Adopting an intersectional framework in research and grant-making is increasingly acknowledged as important in meaningfully addressing persisting gender inequality and interconnected oppressions. To this end, the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI), the Organisation of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) South African National Chapter, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) are partnering to contribute to greater understanding of intersectionality, as it relates to the role of Science Granting Councils (SGC) in advancing equality in executing their mandates. This paper forms part of a series of reports and aims to establish the extent to and manner in which an intersectional framework has been adopted in African scholarship. This aim is addressed through a critical systematic review of existing intersectional research. The findings point to three main trends in African scholarship, centering on: (i) the politics of knowledge production; (ii) diversity and depth in research; and (iii) methodological innovation. We conclude with practical recommendations on the role of SGCs in advancing equality, diversity and inclusion through intersectional gender-transformative granting-making and stimulating research underpinned by intersectional frameworks.