The University of Blantyre Synod (UBS) is proud to highlight the international academic engagement of its Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. Isabel Apawo Phiri, who was invited to deliver the Guest of Honour address at the inaugural Zimbabwe Chapter Conference of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians.
The two-day conference, being held in Harare from 6 to 7 August 2026, brings together scholars, faith leaders, and human rights activists from across the region under the theme “Intersections of Gender, Health, Religion and the Earth in Africa.” The conference marks the establishment of the Zimbabwe Chapter of the Circle and provides a platform for examining some of the interconnected social, environmental, health, and theological challenges affecting African communities.
In her Guest of Honour address, Prof. Phiri challenged academics and theological institutions to move beyond theology that remains purely theoretical and instead embrace approaches that respond directly to the realities faced by African communities. She called for a more action-oriented African Public Eco-Theology, emphasizing the responsibility of theology and scholarship to engage with human suffering, cultural identity, social justice, and structural transformation.
Her participation at the conference reflects the University’s commitment to scholarship that connects academic knowledge with real-world challenges. The discussions in Zimbabwe are particularly relevant to the wider role of theological education in Africa, where questions of faith increasingly intersect with issues of gender equality, public health, environmental sustainability, poverty, and social justice.
Addressing the realities facing African communities
A major focus of the conference is the relationship between environmental challenges and gender justice. The conference recognizes that women play a central role in smallholder agriculture across Africa, yet systemic inequalities, including limited access to land rights, can leave women particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The conference therefore approaches environmental concerns not only as ecological issues but also as questions of justice and equality.
Public health is another major area of discussion. The conference examines the social and structural factors that influence health outcomes in African communities, including maternal mortality and inadequate urban infrastructure. Prof. Phiri drew on personal experience in highlighting the importance of critically examining the relationship between public health, infrastructure, governance, and the delivery of basic services.
The conference is also engaging critically with the legacy of colonial religious frameworks and patriarchal interpretations of theology. Discussions examine how certain interpretations of religion have contributed to the marginalization of women and have been used to justify exploitative relationships with the environment.
Promoting a new generation of African scholarship
A key outcome of the conference is the commitment to strengthening an African theological framework described as “Two-Winged” African Theology, encouraging women and men to work together in solidarity to challenge harmful structures and promote life-affirming communities.
The newly inaugurated Zimbabwe Chapter has identified three major areas of focus moving forward.
The first is mentoring the next generation of scholars, through the creation of protected and funded opportunities for early-career doctoral and post-doctoral African women scholars.
The second is sovereign knowledge production, with an emphasis on supporting African academic journals and producing locally relevant textbooks and scholarship.
The third is institutional transformation, which seeks to ensure that issues surrounding gender, public health, and ecological ethics become an integral part of theological education and curricula across Africa.
These priorities align closely with the broader need for African institutions of higher learning to produce knowledge that speaks directly to the realities of their communities while strengthening African scholarship and intellectual leadership.
A significant platform for African theological scholarship
The conference features several prominent regional scholars and leaders, including Keynote Speaker Dr Linda Naicker of the University of South Africa, National Coordinator Yvonne W. Takawira-Matwaya, and Zimbabwe Council of Churches General Secretary Reverend Wilfred Dimingu. The initiative also receives collaborative support from the Alexander von Humboldt Hub in Africa at the University of Zimbabwe.
The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians was founded in 1989 under the leadership of Mercy Amba Oduyoye. It is a pan-African network of women scholars focused on research, writing, and publishing on the intersections of religion, culture, and social justice from African women’s perspectives.
For the University of Blantyre Synod, Prof. Phiri’s participation represents an important opportunity to contribute to conversations taking place at the intersection of theology, scholarship, social justice, and sustainable development.
Her engagement also reflects UBS’s growing role within the broader academic community and its commitment to encouraging scholarship that does not remain confined to the classroom but contributes to meaningful transformation in society.
As the conference continues, the University of Blantyre Synod celebrates the Vice-Chancellor’s contribution to this important international academic platform and remains committed to strengthening scholarship, dialogue, and partnerships that contribute to holistic transformation in Malawi, Africa, and beyond.
University of Blantyre Synod – Inspiring Holistic Transformation.