In our interconnected world, social media has become a meeting point for transformative feminist movements, acting as a catalyst for different revolutions and uprisings such as #MeToo and #EatTheRich. It empowers individual activists and organizations to amplify their voices and effect change beyond their own contexts. I have harnessed social media to carve out a dedicated platform for sharing my feminist journey, using it as a tool for combating anti-gender bias. However, social media is not a neutral ground for progressive forces to form and prosper.  Digital platforms have evolved as a ..read more

Musu was a young woman living in a remote village in southern Sierra Leone, where the healthcare system was non-existent. When she became pregnant with her first child at 17, Musu knew she would have to travel a long distance to reach the nearest hospital. When she went into labour, she rushed to a nearby town on a motorcycle on a dirt, pothole-ridden road. By the time they arrived at the hospital, after two hours, she was exhausted and in severe pain.  The doctors were overwhelmed by the large number of patients. Musu had to wait more hours to see any health worker. When a doctor finally ..read more

Africa is a diverse continent with many cultures, norms, languages, and belief systems. Africa is also a continent where LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and other nonbinary identities) persons experience exceptional human rights violations.  Consensual same-sex sexual acts are criminalised in 31 countries, with the death penalty indicated in Mauritania, Nigeria, and Uganda. Incarceration ranges from one-year imprisonment in Liberia to life imprisonment in Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and The Gambia. Queerness is constantly portray ..read more

In all our interconnected existence In our struggles backed by persistence,  A life, a living thing Sadly means nothing Absolutely nothing…. Unless it is labelled.    “Is it not enough battle to be respected as a woman? Why do you want to be ‘labelled’ a feminist? “Do you even know what ‘feminism means?”  “Why try to make yourself ‘unmarriageable’?” “How do you feel forsaking your culture to embrace the foreign ideal? Every day is a struggle. Every beautiful morning presents a new problem that threatens my very existence in very creative and unfounded ways. Every day: As a ..read more

The Gambia, often referred to as the “Smiling Coast of Africa”, is celebrated for its peaceful people. Whether you are straddling the streets of Banjul or navigating through the vast river Gambia with its breathtaking views, Gambia’s beauty and tranquillity are inescapable. You are met with smiles and warm, welcoming hands. However, beneath the image of tranquillity lies the troubling practice that the majority of girls and young women face.  Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a deeply entrenched practice here. Studies reveal that the prevalence of FGM among women and girls aged 15-49 in ..read more

Under the veil of darkness, a young couple and their two children drove slowly down a road in Khartoum, the car swerving carefully to avoid potholes and bodies strewn along the way. They were heading to Hajja Saadia’s*, the grandmother’s house in what they thought was a safer part of Khartoum after fighting had broken out in the North of the Sudanese capital. Unable to see well, the husband turned on the high beam. Seconds later, a barrage of bullets rained down on the car from the side of the road where a group of armed militia fighters were hiding in the darkness. Both parents were instantly ..read more

In a small town somewhere in Nigeria, there lived a girl named Sarana. Sarana grew up in a lovely family of six, where there was no power struggle or patriarchal influence, and gender roles were undefined. Sarana was the first child of the Baguda family, followed by Dorcas, Mirii, and Abel. Although Sarana was assigned male at birth, Sarana was beautiful and loved wearing wigs and dresses within the home. As Sarana grew, she developed into a more effeminate person. However, her father grew increasingly uncomfortable and would always complain about having a first child who behaved and acted lik ..read more

Ramadan preparations in Nigeria begin long before the crescent moon is sighted. Like many people, I buy food in bulk: rice, millet, maize, beans, beef, and poultry. I also engage a small-scale baker – *Fatima’s service. She sends snacks: samosas, cupcakes, spring rolls, and chin-chin for iftar (the fast-breaking evening meal for Muslims)   This year, the preparations for Ramadan were different from the previous years. I could not afford to buy as much as I did last year, as most prices have more than doubled. A 10kg bag of rice during Ramadan of 2023 was around 5,000 Naira. This time ..read more

Women’s rights advocates, experts, policymakers, and leaders are gathering at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the United Nations’ largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, in New York.  The 68th CSW theme is on Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. Social protection and infrastructure to support women and girls will also be in focus.   The timing is particularly critical for fragile countries li ..read more

This week, on March 4, the National Assembly of The Gambia held its first sitting for the legislative year 2024. Almameh Gibba, Foni Kansala representative, tabled a bill that seeks to repeal the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) protections under the Women’s (Amendment) Act 2015. In December 2015, towards the end of Yahya Jammeh’s dictatorship, the Women’s Act 2010 was amended to provide for eliminating harmful traditional practices by the National Assembly  Gibba argued that FGM is deeply rooted in culture, using religious purity in Islam as a base. A prominent Imam Abdoulie Fatty, Pr ..read more