Niche-making in intersectional spaces of Ilonggo women in mathematics: groundwork for a liberatory curriculum framework

Gender inequality in mathematics persists despite global commitments to equity, with women’s participation shaped by intersecting socio-cultural, economic, and institutional conditions. Limited research examines how women’s lived experiences, particularly in localized Global South contexts, can inform curriculum development. This study explores the lived experiences of Ilonggo Women in Mathematics and translates their narratives into a Liberatory Mathematics Curriculum Framework.Anchored in subjectivism and feminist inquiry and guided by critical theory and intersectionality, the study employed qualitative narrative inquiry. Four Ilonggo women in mathematics were purposively selected and engaged in multiple in-depth life story interviews. Data were analyzed through iterative coding, restorying, and cross-narrative analysis to generate key themes.iFindings reveal that participation in mathematics is shaped by the interplay of intersectionality, niche-making, and empowering structures. Socio-economic constraints and gendered representations influence access and belonging, while participants actively reconfigure their roles through teaching, mentoring, and community engagement. Mentorship and family encouragement are critical in sustaining persistence and identity formation.These insights informed a Liberatory Mathematics Curriculum Framework integrating contextualized content, critical engagement, identity affirmation, transformative practice, and relational support. The framework contributes a grounded approach to rethinking mathematics education through decolonizing perspectives in the Global South.