Universities around the world increasingly speak about diversity and inclusion. Yet inequalities related to race, gender, class and belonging still shape many academic environments, Abongile Sonkosi found.
“Black women remain underrepresented in doctoral education globally, and their experiences are often overlooked in research. My dissertation explores what it means to be a Black female PhD candidate in two different academic contexts: Rhodes University in South Africa and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
“My central research question is: How do Black female PhD candidates experience and navigate doctoral study in these two contexts? Most existing theories about inequality in academia come from Western perspectives and do not always account for African contexts or ways of understanding knowledge. By bringing African feminist thought into conversation with intersectionality, I aim to better understand how power, identity, and institutional culture shape doctoral experiences.”
Shaped by context
“This research shows that the experiences of Black female PhD candidates are deeply shaped by context. In South Africa, Black women may be part of the demographic majority, yet they still encounter challenges related to gender expectations, financial pressures and institutional power. In the Netherlands, many participants experienced being one of the few Black women in their academic environments, which sometimes led to feelings of isolation or heightened visibility.
“My main conclusion is that doctoral experiences are not shaped by a single factor such as race or gender alone. Instead, they are influenced by a combination of factors, including race, gender, class, nationality, immigration status and institutional culture. The research is particularly relevant today as universities worldwide debate diversity, inclusion, and the decolonisation of higher education. It highlights the need for more equitable academic environments.”
