Fourteen-Year-Old Girl Rejects Mother’s Demands to Marry Man Aged 35

Fourteen-year-old Ruth* dreams of becoming a pilot, but last year she discovered her mother’s plans to marry her off – to a man more than twice her age. This spelt disaster for her aspirations, as girls who marry while in school usually fall pregnant and drop out, ending their education and jeopardising their health. “I […]
International Day Of The Girl Child

In 2021 we commemorate the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), launching 5-year commitments from civil society leaders, governments, corporations and change-makers from around the world for bold gender equality impacts. At the same time, we are in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has accelerated digital platforms for learning, earning and connecting, while […]
Covid-19 Condemns More Women To Unbearable Hardship

These are trying times for many Liberians particularly women who most times bear the economic burden of any form of crisis, and the COVID-19 crisis is no exception. The pandemic has caused a global economic crisis and Liberia, being one of the poorest in Sub-Sahara Africa, has not been spared its brunt. The COVID-19 pandemic […]
Girls

Growing up in a house of girls in a society like ours has proven to be a beautiful one despite all odds. This article is an interview with a lady who grew up with sisters, her experiences within the family and within the community. “It was an interesting one. I have never had the experience […]
What Will Happen To girls’ Education In Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule?

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers have said girls will be allowed to go to school as they seek to show they have changed since last in power 20 years ago, when girls were barred from education. But many Afghans do not believe them, among them the founder of a girls’ school in Kabul, who has burnt […]
The Killing Doesn’t Stop During South Africa’s Women’s Month

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them” Women’s Month in South Africa is celebrated in August. It commemorates the significant role held by women in South African society and celebrates the accomplishments of the 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in August of 1956. […]
Sexual, Reproductive Health Rights for Women With Disabilities

ONE hot Sunday morning in April, 24-year-old Masuzyo Bupe (not real name) was excited as she looked forward to receiving her once in a lifetime visitors in form of representatives from the family of the man who had shown interest to marry her. However, her happiness was short-lived as her mother informed her that there […]
LOUD WHISPERS: When One Violation Is Not Enough

I am angry, frustrated, tired, and I feel sick. One of my security aides has been arrested for rape. I have known him for over ten years, so he is not a stranger who just joined my team. I have written in the past about three kinds of children. The ones you train well and […]
EU Court Says Headscarves Can Be Banned At Work Under Certain Conditions

Companies may ban Muslim employees from wearing a headscarf under certain conditions, the European Union’s top court said on Thursday in a ruling on two cases brought by women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs for wearing one. The issue of the hijab, the traditional headscarf worn around the head and shoulders, has […]
Tanzania To Offer Alternative Education For School Dropouts Including Pregnant Girls -official

Secondary school drop-outs in Tanzania will be offered the opportunity to resume studies in alternative colleges, the government said on Tuesday, part of a shift away from a disputed policy under which pregnant girls were expelled from school. Such expulsions had increased under the tenure of maverick President John Magufuli, who died in March, according […]