ACETNEWS
Genevieve Egbunno, a doctoral candidate in Interdisciplinary Humanities at the University of California, Merced, US, researching marriage, masculinity and women’s economic empowerment in Igbo homes, has been awarded the SSHA Dean Fellowship in recognition of her academic commitment and scholarly pursuits.
The Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) Dean Fellowship marks an important milestone in her doctoral journey and recognizes her dedication to advancing research on the social, cultural, and economic factors shaping Igbo women’s experiences within marriage and society. The fellowship recognises academic excellence and commitment to research, and for Genevieve, the fellowship affords her time to complete her dissertation, and she prepares to complete her PhD programme
Genevieve’s doctoral research examines how Igbo women’s economic empowerment intersects with marriage, culture, masculinity, and marital conflict among Igbo Nigerians and the Igbo Nigerian diaspora. Through this transnational comparison, she explores how patriarchal structures, cultural expectations, and traditional notions of masculinity shape marital relationships amid women’s educational and economic advancement, and how migration and institutional environments influence their economic autonomy and negotiating power within marriage.
The ethnographic study contributes to African and African diaspora studies, and the political economy of marriage. It challenges the assumption that women’s increased income or financial independence automatically translates into greater authority within their households. It also offers practical insights for policymakers, organizations, community leaders, and culture custodians to develop initiatives addressing marital power relations, household decision-making, financial control, property ownership, changing gender roles, and women’s access to legal and community support.
Receiving the SSHA Dean Fellowship marks a significant achievement in Genevieve’s academic career and supports her continued commitment to high-quality research. The recognition also underscores the importance of research that connects academic inquiry with contemporary social challenges and meaningful community engagement.
Through her work, Genevieve seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of women’s empowerment as a relational process shaped not only by individual economic progress but also by cultural expectations, institutional structures, and relationships within the family.
As she advances her doctoral research, this recognition represents an important step toward her broader goal of producing research that informs academic conversations, strengthens community-based interventions, and contributes to ongoing efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment and social mobility.
