The Institute for African Studies, RAS, held a round table devoted to the study of the historical, cultural and anthropological aspects of the development of African countries and peoples from the point of view of modern scientific knowledge. In addition, much attention was paid to gender studies in contemporary African studies. Gender studies based on socially and culturally marked specifics of gender relations are relevant for the study of African civilization, which is characterized by a strict differentiation of all spheres of life into male and female worlds. During the round table, three meetings were held, thematically relevant to the issues of anthropology, religion and culture; problems of modern and recent history of African countries and African diasporas; gender studies in African studies, which made the round table work more diverse and emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the discussion. One of the important components of the round table was summarizing the results of field studies conducted in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda. The focus of the research was both the social ties of the local population and the religiosity and socio-political orientation of the old believer community and the Orthodox of Uganda. The reports of the participants of the round table reflected a problem that has not lost its relevance to the present time: the struggle of African women for the right to be represented in the power structures of different levels, to have the right to vote on an equal basis with men in solving vital issues for the country. The round table was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the African Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 30th anniversary of the organization of the gender research group.