GAF Documentary

This dataset includes a short documentary video titled Silent Titans, directed by Ghanaian filmmaker Magdalene Kwashie. The film explores the experiences of women serving in the Ghana Armed Forces, focusing on their roles in male-dominated specialties such as mechanical operations, leadership, and combat training. Through a combination of interviews and observational footage, the documentary captures personal narratives that reveal the challenges, negotiations, and affirmations of gender identity within a traditionally patriarchal institution.

Research Hypothesis:

The study hypothesizes that, despite efforts toward gender integration, women in the Ghanaian military continue to face implicit and explicit gender-based barriers that shape their professional identity and access to opportunities.

Data Contents:

Video file: Silent Titans (approx. 12 minutes), in MP4 format.

Data Collection & Preparation:

The documentary was created through primary fieldwork, using filmed interviews with consenting participants who discussed their professional and personal experiences within the military. The transcript was manually prepared from the video and reflects the exact verbal content of the participants. No personal identifiers have been removed, and the material is presented as it appears in the film for scholarly analysis.

Notable Findings:

The analysis revealed four major themes:

Negotiating Work-Family Balance – Participants detailed the physical and emotional strain of combining military duties with domestic responsibilities.

Gendered Role Expectations – Stereotypes and structural norms continue to influence the types of roles women are assigned.

Institutional Support and Barriers – While some superiors support women’s advancement, broader institutional practices often hinder full participation.

Agency and Identity Formation – The women assert strong identities and challenge limiting gender norms through discipline, performance, and self-expression.

Interpretation and Use:

This dataset is valuable for researchers in gender studies, military sociology, African studies, and media or film analysis. The documentary offers rich audiovisual material for studying how gender is negotiated in hierarchical, male-dominated environments. The transcript supports textual analysis, making the data suitable for thematic coding, discourse analysis, and education in feminist media practice and qualitative research