Everyday Politics of Love and Intimacy: A critical exploration of older women's intimacy and sexuality in contemporary family relationships in South Africa

The PILOW project critically investigates the intimacy, sexuality, and relationships of Black older women (50+) in contemporary South Africa, a demographic often overlooked in both feminist and decolonial agendas. The primary research objectives are to explore how these women construct and experience intimacy, love, and sexuality as they age, how family dynamics, particularly relationships with adult children, influence their intimate lives, and how social institutions like religious institutions shape their sexuality, especially outside of marriage. By addressing these research gaps, the project challenges prevailing stereotypes of older women as asexual and marginalised.This transdisciplinary research is grounded in a feminist decolonial framework and actively involves older women as knowledgeable experts in the co-design of research tools. By including their voices, the project ensures that the concerns and perspectives of older women are central to the research process. In addition to older women, conversations with their adult children, spiritual leaders from religious institutions (referred to as ‘spiritual parents’), and healthcare providers from local clinics, creating a holistic understanding of how personal and institutional factors shape the intimate lives of older Black women. Through narrative interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographic fieldwork, the project seeks to capture the complex interplay between family, faith, and sexuality in this demographic.The project’s approach addresses broader objectives of issues of social justice, gender equality, and the decolonisation of knowledge. Its focus on marginalised voices contributes to the transformation of critical sexuality studies, while its transdisciplinary nature fosters collaboration between academia, religious institutions, and healthcare providers.The findings are expected to contribute to both academic knowledge and policy discussion on the intersectionality of race, gender and sexual