Title: Gendered Reciprocity and the Unequal Accounting of Intimacy: Interrogating Transactional Frames in African Heterosexual Relationships
Authors: Ahumuza Audrey, Musiimenta Nancy
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 138-145
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
This study examined gendered reciprocity and the unequal accounting of intimacy within African heterosexual relationships, interrogating the transactional frames through which women and men negotiate material, emotional, and relational exchange. Grounded in feminist political economy and African gender studies, the study investigated how cultural norms, hegemonic gender ideologies, and structural socioeconomic conditions shaped transactional frames; how women and men subjectively experienced and navigated the unequal accounting of intimate contributions; and the conditions under which individuals contested or reproduced gendered reciprocity norms. A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed, combining structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews administered to 412 participants drawn from urban and peri-urban settings across four African countries. Univariate analysis described the distribution of gendered contribution patterns; bivariate analysis examined associations between gender, socioeconomic position, and relational inequality; and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) tested a theoretically derived model linking patriarchal norm endorsement, provider masculinity, and emotional labour invisibility to relational dissatisfaction and gender injustice perception. Findings revealed that women consistently contributed more across emotional, domestic, and sexual dimensions of intimacy while their contributions were systematically undervalued relative to men's financial inputs. SEM results confirmed that patriarchal norm endorsement significantly predicted the invisibility of women's emotional labour (? = 0.61, p < .001), which in turn was a strong predictor of perceived relational injustice (? = 0.54, p < .001). Bivariate analysis further demonstrated that higher educational attainment among women was significantly associated with greater contestation of unequal reciprocity norms (?² = 38.47, p < .001). The study concluded that the unequal accounting of intimacy constitutes a structural form of gendered injustice requiring both cultural and institutional intervention. Recommendations were advanced for gender-transformative relationship education, policy reform targeting lobola and bride price institutions, and the integration of relational equity into national gender equality frameworks across Africa.