Call for Papers - Special Issue: Gender and Demographic Change in Africa

27-10-2025

About this Issue

The Union for African Population Studies (UAPS), through its Gender Equality Thematic Panel, invites submissions for a special issue examining the critical intersections of gender, population dynamics, and socio-economic transformation across Africa. The issue will be published in the Union’s Journal of African Population Studies (JAPS) on the theme ‘Gender and Demographic Change in Africa.’

Central Question: In the context of Africa’s demographic transitions, gender remains a central axis of inequality and agency shaping fertility, mortality, migration, education, and labor markets Thus the issue seeks to answer the question: How does gender shape and become shaped by Africa's demographic transitions?

Why This Matters

Africa's demographic landscape is evolving rapidly: fertility patterns are shifting, girls' educational enrollment is rising, urbanization is accelerating, yet labor market inequalities persist. Gender remains a central axis of both inequality and agency in these transformations.

The Evidence Shows:

  • Demographic change cannot be fully understood without addressing gendered dimensions of education, labor, and reproductive health
  • Unequal care burdens and structural gender norms limit women's ability to translate demographic opportunities (such as lower fertility) into improved well-being and empowerment (Seguino, 2020).
  • Gender inequalities in education and employment critically shape fertility decisions, child outcomes, and intergenerational mobility (Duflo, 2012; Çagatay and Özler, 1995).
  • Intra-household bargaining power often determined by women's access to resources significantly affects fertility preferences, investments in children's education, and migration decisions (Doepke and Tertilt, 2019).

This special issue aims to consolidate rigorous research that foregrounds African voices and perspectives, highlighting both challenges and pathways toward gender-equitable development.

Objectives

  • Provide a platform for African scholars and practitioners to publish high-quality research on gender and demographic change
  • Advance theoretical and empirical knowledge on how gender shapes and is shaped by demographic processes
  • Encourage interdisciplinary dialogue bridging demography, gender studies, economics, sociology, public health, and political science
  • Inform policy debates with context-specific insights to guide interventions promoting gender equality and inclusive development

Thematic Areas

We welcome original contributions addressing, but not limited to:

  • Gendered dimensions of fertility, mortality, and migration in Africa.
  • Education, skills development, and gender inequalities across the life course.
  • Women’s labor market participation, informal economy, and care work.
  • Gender, family dynamics, and intergenerational relations.
  • Reproductive health, rights, and access to services.
  • Gender-based violence and its demographic implications.
  • Governance, institutions, and gender-responsive demographic policies.
  • Methodological innovations for integrating gender into demographic research.
  • Case studies and comparative perspectives across African regions.
  • African men, masculinity, and their role in shaping demographic dividends.
  • LGBTQ+ and other minority populations in Africa: visibility, inequalities, and demographic implications.

Submission Requirements

Manuscript Specifications:

Encouraged Approaches:

  • Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies
  • Multi-country or comparative studies
  • Interdisciplinary perspectives

Important Dates

   

Call for papers announced

21 October 2025

Submission deadline

28 December 2025

Peer review process

January 2026

Notification of acceptance

09 February 2026

Final revisions due

March 2026

Publication

April 2026

 

Review Process

All submissions will undergo rigorous double-blind peer review coordinated by the guest editors in collaboration with the JAPS editorial board. Accepted manuscripts will be published in online format.

How to Submit

Submit manuscripts via the Journal submission platform. Ensure your manuscript meets the Journal Guidelines for JAPS.

Questions ? Contact: genderequality@uaps-uepa.org

Guest Editors

Dr Flora Yselle Mallah Kuete florayselle27@yahoo.com

Prof Lupwana Kandala lupwana.kandala@univen.ac.za

Dr Daniel Fiaveh dfiaveh@ucc.edu.gh

 

References

Çagatay, N., and Özler, Ş. (1995). Feminization of the labor force: The effects of long-term development and structural adjustment. World Development, 23(11), 1883–1894. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(95)00086-R

Doepke, M., and Tertilt, M. (2019). Women's empowerment, the gender gap in desired fertility, and fertility outcomes in developing countries. Journal of Development Economics, 141, 102244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2019.102244

Duflo, E. (2012). Women empowerment and economic development. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(4), 1051–1079. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.50.4.1051

Seguino, S. (2020). Engendering macroeconomic theory and policy. Feminist Economics, 26(2), 27–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2020.1717676

 

The Journal of African Population Studies is committed to centering African contexts and voices in global discussions on gender and demographic change.