It is with great joy that we introduce the first edition of our newly established journal named African Gender Studies (AGenSQ) which is to be published quarterly. The motivation to float this journal is to deal with gender and its dynamics in Africa. To launch this inaugural issue, we have complied a set of articles that project the vision and values of AGenSQ’s commitment that are evidence - based especially on contemporary topics that shapes gender and issues around it.
We begin with the concept of sexual capital, addressed in two of the articles, while the first investigated the influence of sexual capital on financial independence specifically on female undergraduates, the other examined a review of the subtle yet pervasive ways sexual capital operates as a form of social currency and its influence on employers. This current edition also feature articles on female body and visual fantasy, it highlights a thoughtful discussion on the cultural norms and religious beliefs on sexuality emphasizing the role of personal experiences and its involvement in shaping the broader moral and cultural frameworks. To round it up, the theme of power dynamics continues through the exploration of the concept of institutional structures - political participation and its impacts on gender.
We believe these articles have been thoroughly reviewed while appropriate recommendations offered will help to properly formulate effective solutions to identified issues. This inaugural issue has done well by providing a space where both emerging and established scholars alike have engaged to present themes that demand attention and open engagement. We really hope that this will not only inform but also invites deeper reflection and a continued scholarship on the evolving intersections of gender and its dynamics even as they affect Africa and the rest of the third world.