The article “A decolonial feminist perspective on gender equality programming in the Global South” provides a critical analysis of how international non-governmental organizations design and execute gender equality programs. The authors, Udenigwe Ogochukwu, Aubel Judi, and Abimbola Seye, argue that many current initiatives adapt to existing systems of oppression rather than dismantling them. They contend that these programs often inadvertently reinforce racist, capitalist, and patriarchal structures, which can hinder true equality and potentially worsen the well-being of women and girls in the Global South. The authors identify four central themes that characterize these problematic narratives within development programming. 1. Reinforcing hierarchical knowledge praxis The first theme critiques the exclusion and silencing of knowledge originating from the Global South. The authors highlight how development programs often overlook indigenous histories of collective organization. For instance, while organizations often present “safe spaces” as new interventions, African women have long utilized similar cultural structures, …
