Faith, Gender, and Social Change

Women are active in Nigerian church life, yet little is known about how they experience and respond to overlapping religious and social expectations. Existing literature often treats biblical interpretation, women’s rights and gender inequality separately, giving less attention to how doctrine, custom and social change together shape women’s place in the church. This study examined these dynamics in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), guided by Feminist Theology, which critiques androcentric interpretation and recovers the tradition’s affirmation of women’s dignity, equality and agency. The study had four objectives: to examine the influence of theological teachings and religious traditions on women’s roles and status in the church; to analyse gender constructions and societal expectations surrounding women’s participation in religious activities; to assess the influence of social change on women’s inclusion in leadership within the church and society; and to describe the contemporary realities of women in the church. A qualitative design was adopted. Twenty participants, comprising women pastors, deaconesses, fellowship leaders and male pastors drawn from Pentecostal and Protestant churches, were selected through purposive and snowball sampling and interviewed in depth. Responses were analysed thematically, with themes retained where participants’ accounts converged. The findings point to a persistent gap between participation, recognition, authority and access to leadership, shaped by the interaction of theological interpretation, cultural custom and social change. The study recommends that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and its member denominations adopt written bylaws opening deaconess, fellowship and council roles to appointed women leaders; and NGOs such as Women Aid Collective (WACOL) run yearly mentorship and leadership-training programmes for women; and that faith-based organisations track, publish and review women’s leadership representation annually to ensure accountability.