A decolonial feminist perspective on gender equality programming in the Global South

The feminisms emerging from postcolonial regions of the Global South have critiqued gender equality initiatives that adapt to, rather than dismantle, racist, capitalist, and patriarchal systems. They call for an exploration of how these initiatives become hosts to oppressive forces that derail gender equality efforts and worsen the health and well-being of women and girls in the Global South. Drawing on decolonial feminist perspectives, this paper addresses two broad questions: How does a gender equality agenda rooted in capitalist structures impact the health and well-being of women and girls in the Global South? Have attempts at transforming gender equality in the Global South been solely liberatory? The…