A Theological Reflection on Inequality and Marginalization in Africa
A Call to Ubuntu and Diakonia
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Abstract
Inequality and marginalization remain pervasive challenges across Africa, with Malawi exemplifying the structural and gendered dimensions of this crisis. Despite the rhetorical appeal of communal values like Ubuntu and the active presence of Christian communities practising diakonia, faith-based responses often default to charitable relief rather than transformative engagement with systemic injustice. This article addresses a critical gap in African theological scholarship: the absence of an integrated framework that synthesizes indigenous ethical resources with liberative Christian praxis to confront gendered economic marginalization. Drawing on qualitative interviews with seven women in Mzimba District, Malawi, the study employs reflexive thematic analysis within a theoretical framework bringing African women's theology into dialogue with Ubuntu philosophy and diakonia scholarship. Three interconnected themes emerge: the gendered burden of economic survival, wherein women's lack of financial contribution nullifies their decision-making authority; the paradox of women's centrality yet marginalization, where those sustaining community development are excluded from resource control; and a praxis gap between the church's charitable diakonia and the community's expressed need for economic empowerment through group-based lending and skills training. The article argues that authentic Christian engagement requires a liberative Ubuntu-diakonia model that moves beyond palliative charity to actively dismantle patriarchal barriers and foster women's economic agency. By centring the voices of marginalized women, this study contributes to African contextual theology, Christian social ethics, and the practical reorientation of ecclesial mission toward justice-oriented transformation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rev Agnes Nyondo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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