In addressing various issues African women and girls grapple with, gendered data is important. We know that in Africa, like in most of the world, women and girls are far from enjoying the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections as men and boys because of gendered inequalities that are historically rooted in colonial legacies and patriarchal systems. The post Painting the Picture: Using Data to Illuminate Women’s Rights in Africa appeared first on African Feminism (AF ..read more

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), decades of brutal conflict and instability have intensified since January, plunging communities into turmoil. Thousands of people are fleeing as clashes intensify between the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and the rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23). The city of Goma is at the epicentre… The post Feminist Voices on Frontlines of Humanitarian Crisis in Eastern Congo appeared first on African Feminism (AF ..read more

“Activism devoid of passion is like a body without a soul. Let us transform our spaces into sanctuaries of love and solidarity.“ Charlie, it has been hard for me as an activist, struggling with numerous mental and emotional battles within spaces where I am supposed to feel a sense of belonging. At times, I feel exhausted by the need to be aggressive just to be heard due to power struggles and the fact that I am part of a minority group within a broader minority. Despite these challenges, I continue to fight for my rights and those of the Lesbian, Bisexual Queer, Transgender (LBQT) and gender n ..read more

“Those in power do not see the priority of {women’s} issues because they are not affected.”  These are the words of a Muslim women’s rights activist from Hargeisa, Somaliland, one of the over 40 other advocates interviewed during a four-month research mapping actors working on family law reform across the Greater Horn of Africa as part of Musawah’s Campaign for Justice in Muslim Family Laws. Muslim women on the African continent feel neglected as their lives are constantly a fight between their basic and fundamental rights and their religion. They are invisibilized by different, heavy lay ..read more

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