September 24, 2023
Southern Africa: Young People With Sexual, Gender Diversity At Higher Risk of Stopping HIV Treatment Because of Stigma, Harsh Laws
Ending the AIDS pandemic - particularly in eastern and southern Africa - cannot be achieved unless more resources are channelled to meet the needs of key vulnerable populations. Read more »
September 19, 2023
Africa: Chronic Pelvic Pain Affects Up to 26 Percent of Women - Our Latest Research Brings Us Closer to Better Treating It
Chronic pelvic pain affects between 5% and 26% of women worldwide. It can be associated with conditions such as endometriosis (where tissue resembling the lining of the womb is… Read more »
September 13, 2023
South Africa: Rehab for South Africa's Female Inmates Focuses On Domestic Chores - Instead of Finding Good Work
Corrections facilities are supposed to help rehabilitate offenders. However, during apartheid, South Africa's correctional system was a pillar of the repressive, discriminatory… Read more »
September 07, 2023
Ghana: Death and Mourning in Ghana - How Gender Shapes the Rituals of the Akan People
Gender has a significant impact on the socio-economic, political and religious experiences of Ghanaians. For Akans, the country's largest ethnic group, descent is traced through… Read more »
Africa: Why Mothers and Babies Will Suffer More As Africa Grows Hotter
As Africa gets hotter, mothers and babies are most at risk. Why is this and what can be done about it? Matthew Chersich, a specialist in climate change and maternal health,… Read more »
August 30, 2023
Zimbabwe: Election Was a Fight Between Men - Women Are Sidelined in Politics Despite Quotas
Zimbabwe's 2023 harmonised elections have largely been depicted as a battle between the two "Big Men" - President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zanu-PF and Nelson Chamisa of the… Read more »
August 29, 2023
Africa: How Our Female Athletes Feel Forced to Choose Between a 'Strong' or 'Feminine' Look
As I watched the Fifa Women's World Cup, I was probably one of many who couldn't help but feel inspired by the women on the pitch, showing their elite fitness and ability. However,… Read more »
August 23, 2023
South Africa: The Power of Needlework - How Embroidery Is Helping South African Women Tell Unspeakable Stories
In June 2020, three months after South Africa entered the first of a series of hard lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID, the country's president Cyril Ramaphosa described men's… Read more »
August 22, 2023
Africa: 'Dirty Red' - How Periods Have Been Stigmatised Through History to the Modern Day
About a year ago, at a friend's wedding, a fellow guest asked whether I knew that modern sanitary towels owe their origins to resourceful World War I field nurses who discovered… Read more »
August 15, 2023
Africa: The Orgasm Gap and Why Women Climax Less Than Men
Imagine a steamy sex scene involving a woman and a man from your favourite television show or movie. It's likely that both parties orgasm. But this doesn't reflect reality. Read more »
August 16, 2023
Nigeria: Nigerian Women Ensure They Get the Best Possible Healthcare By Managing Unequal Power Relations With Men
Nigeria is a patriarchal society. Authority is vested in men, who tend to exert power and control over women in various spheres of life. This has an impact on women's health and… Read more »
August 14, 2023
South Africa: Telemedicine Can Help Women Get Early Abortions Safely - South African Study
In South Africa, it is legal to have an abortion upon request until the 13th week of pregnancy. The procedure is performed by trained certified midwives or registered nurses at… Read more »
August 08, 2023
South Africa: Violence, Health and Money Issues Among 5 Biggest Obstacles That Stand in Women's Way
Every year on 9 August South Africa celebrates Women's Day, marking an important moment in the country's history. This was the day in 1956 when women marched to the seat of… Read more »
August 04, 2023
Africa: Women's World Cup - What Still Needs to Be Done to Improve the Lot of Elite Female Footballers
The Fifa Women's World Cup is just 32 years old and on its eighth official edition, while the men's competition began 93 years ago and has enjoyed 22 tournaments. Read more »
July 19, 2023
Africa: Greta Gerwig's Barbie Movie Is a 'Feminist Bimbo' Classic - and No, That's Not an Oxymoron
The following article contains spoilers for Barbie. Read more »
July 16, 2023
Africa: Africa's Groundbreaking Women's Rights Treaty Turns 20 - the Hits and Misses of the Maputo Protocol
2023 marks two decades since the adoption of the Maputo Protocol. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo… Read more »
June 21, 2023
Ghana: Ama Ata Aidoo - The Pioneering Writer Left Behind a String of Feminist Classics
Prolific author and former Ghanaian education minister Ama Ata Aidoo passed away on 31 May 2023 at the age of 81. News of her death reverberated around… Read more »
July 04, 2023
South Africa: South African Universities Must Do More to Tackle Staffs' Race and Gender Imbalances
At the advent of South Africa's democracy in 1994, an overwhelming majority of academics in the country's public higher education institutions were white men. Black South Africans… Read more »
June 28, 2023
Africa: Every 2 Seconds in the World a Baby Is Born Prematurely - Report Identifies Biggest Challenges for Their Survival
Globally, about one baby in 10 is born too soon - that's around one baby every two seconds. A full term pregnancy is around nine months or 37 weeks. Babies born before this mark… Read more »
June 27, 2023
Africa: Women Lawyers - Numbers Are Up but Report Sheds Light On Obstacles to Leadership in the Profession
The African continent currently leads the world in the number of women chief justices and presidents of constitutional courts. Several countries across the continent have almost… Read more »
June 21, 2023
South Africa: Bathrooms Are Political - How Gender-Inclusive Toilets Can Combat Indignity and Violence
A new hate crimes bill is inching closer to the possibility of becoming law in South Africa. The bill entrenches human dignity as a foundational value of the country by providing… Read more »
June 12, 2023
South Africa: HIV Care for Migrant Women in South Africa - the Gaps and 5 Steps Towards Offering Better Services
Around 8.45 million people in South Africa live with HIV - an estimated 13.9% of the population. Of South African women aged 15-49, approximately 24% are HIV positive. Read more »
May 30, 2023
Africa: Some Refugee Girls Are Forced Into Early Marriage for Safety - Here's Why
Rates of child marriage increase in communities displaced by conflict as well as communities affected by natural and environmental disasters. Read more »
May 24, 2023
Africa: Male Video Game Characters Speak Twice As Much As Females, Largest Study of Its Kind Reveals
Video games are played by nearly three billion people worldwide and make more money annually than the film industry. Around 50% of gamers are female but gaming has chronic problems… Read more »
May 28, 2023
Africa: Being Queer in Africa - the State of LGBTIQ+ Rights Across the Continent
In recent years several African countries have decriminalised same-sex relationships. But they're not representative of the continent. In fact, queer rights at times appear to be… Read more »