Nigeria: The Plight of Women Fishers in Lagos's 'Floating Slum'

Makoko, a coastal fishing community in Lagos, Nigeria, was established by fishermen in the 19th century. It is considered the world's largest "floating slum". There are conflicting… Read more »

South Africa: Zuleikha Mayat - South African Activist Who Led a Life of Courage

Few Indian South African women have achieved wider public recognition than author, human rights and cultural activist Zuleikha Mayat, who passed away on 2 February 2024. An… Read more »

Burundi: Burundi's Quota for Women in Politics Has Had Mixed Results, but That's No Reason to Scrap It

Since 2005, Burundi has set quotas to ensure that the country's three ethnic groups (Hutu, Tutsi and Twa), as well as women, are represented in its parliament, central government… Read more »

Africa: Health, Safety Compromised for People Living With Long Covid and Intimate Partner Violence

What happens when a person is experiencing long COVID and intimate partner violence at the same time? There has been no attention paid to this question anywhere in the world since… Read more »

Africa: Five Inspiring Female Composers From History You Should Listen to

I research female composers and contrary to what many people expect, women have successfully written music throughout history. It is important to learn about these musicians to… Read more »

Africa: The Shame and Pleasure of Masturbation - Poor Things Gets Girls' Early Sexual Feelings Right

This piece contains spoilers for Poor Things. Read more »

Africa: Wanting to 'Move On' Is Natural - but Women's Pandemic Experiences Can't Be Lost to 'Lockdown Amnesia'

The COVID-19 pandemic was - and continues to be - hugely disruptive and stressful for individuals, communities and countries. Yet many seem desperate to close the chapter entirely,… Read more »

Africa: Hollywood's First Major Black Female Superhero - How Wakanda Forever Broke the Mould

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rewrote Hollywood's script for superhero movies. English professor Diana Adesola Mafe was recently involved in an academic roundtable that offers a… Read more »

Africa: How Technology Can Help Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern. According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 44 per cent of women experienced some form of intimate partner violence in… Read more »

Africa: Improved Employment Policies Can Encourage Fathers to Be More Involved At Home

While the COVID-19 pandemic had many detrimental socio-economic and health impacts, one silver lining has been the influence of remote work on men's involvement in unpaid work at… Read more »

Namibia: Apartheid in Namibia - Why Human Rights and Women Are Celebrated On the Same Day

10 December is worldwide commemorated as Human Rights Day. It marks the anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted on that day in 1948. Many countries and… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Shea Industry Is Not Taking Care of the Women Behind Its Growth

Ghana's shea industry has a rich history. Shea - nkuto, karite, galam in some west African languages - is deeply embedded in the culture and tradition of the country's northern… Read more »

Africa: Physiological and Archaeological Evidence Rewrites Assumptions About Gendered Division of Labour in Prehistoric Times

Prehistoric men hunted; prehistoric women gathered. At least this is the standard narrative written by and about men to the exclusion of women. Read more »

Africa: We Blurred the Gender of Soccer Players and Had People Rate Their Performances - With Surprising Results

During the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the telecommunications company Orange ran a powerful TV ad. It depicts the graceful agility and dramatic goal-scoring shots from French… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Women Vice-Chancellors - I Know What It's Like to Be One, and Why There Are So Few

The secretary-general of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria recently disclosed that only 38 women have been vice-chancellors of universities in Nigeria since 1960, out of… Read more »

Ghana: Theresa Kufuor - Ghana's Former First Lady Was a Quiet and Unobtrusive Champion of Change

Flags have been flying at half mast in Ghana in tribute to Theresa Kufuor, the wife of John Agyekum Kufuor, president of Ghana from 2000 to 2008. Born Theresa Mensah, the former… Read more »

South Africa: South African Men Are Much More Likely to Die From TB Than Women - Here's Why

Around the world, men are more likely to get TB and to die from it than women. Read more »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »