Using African Indigenous Knowledge Pathways to Understand and Dismantle Gender-based Violence

This book makes an important scholarly contribution by situating gender-based violence within African epistemologies such as Ubuntu and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It challenges Eurocentric narratives while o ering culturally grounded strategies for dialogue, healing, and social transformation to dismantle persistent structures of gender inequality across African communities.

– Mulovhedzi SA, Full Professor in Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (HOD), University of Venda, Thohoyandou

The book mainly focuses on GBV as applicable to women. That does not purport to dispute that there are pockets of incidents where men are also victims of GBV. The fact remains, however, that the prevalence of this scourge is mostly among women, considering that the majority of women are the victims and survivors of GBV on a daily basis, and this bears a scholarly justifi cation of GBV among women. The book contends that Eurocentric approaches in the context of gender related issues in a society somehow have had a contributory role, with some African core values aimed at building and strengthening society being undermined in the process. This book strives to establish a critical argument and debate using African philosophies to interpret the realities and experiences of occurrences of GBV in order to end it among African communities.

Mfundo Mandla Masuku is an Associate Professor of Development Studies and Head of Research and Higher Degrees in the School of Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He serves extensively on college and university committees. He specializes in the intersection of African philosophy and food security. Part of his substantive research explores the Ubuntu philosophy and its application in contemporary community-driven projects to provide essential services. In the process, it critically challenges Western paradigms with African indigenous knowledge systems.