Source: Gender Links
Lilongwe , 20 June: History was made on June 19 when Malawi elected the first ever female Speaker of Parliament, a development gender and rights activists say is a victory for the country’s democracy and efforts for gender inclusion. In the 55 years of independence Malawi has never had a female Speaker of Parliament.
Source: Thomas Reuters Foundation
Vancouver — First Lady Fatima Bio angered activists this year when she said in a televised interview that, as a circumcised woman, she would not speak out against FGM
The first lady of Sierra Leone, who caused a furor this year when she said she did not think female genital mutilation was harmful, has said she will meet campaigners after being ambushed while addressing a major women's rights conference.
Source: Radio Dabanga
Kabkabiya — Two displaced women from the camps in Kabkabiya in North Darfur have been injured in attacks by paramilitaries on farms, under the pretext of ownership of the land.
Source: Premium Times
Over 15,000 refugees from Sokoto and Zamfara States, mainly women and children, are currently taking refuge in some communities of Niger Republic, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.
Source: DW
Demonstrators in Sudan have been demanding a transition to a civilian government. An eyewitness reports on sexual atrocities committed during the dispersal of a sit-in outside the army's headquarters in Khartoum.
Source: The New Dawn
As Liberia gears up for the 2020 mid-term senatorial and 2023 general elections, several women in Bomi County are calling for electoral reforms to address the prevailing political realities. Speaking during a community media forum in Tubmanburg City and GbahJarkeh both in Senjeh District Bomi County, women raised several electoral reform issues ranging from elected official tenures, women participation, sitting lawmaker vying for another elected post and among others.
Source: RFI
President Cyril Ramaphosa swears in new parity cabinet. But can his mix of allies and enemies fast-track the delivery of urgent reforms?
Source: IOL
Any journalist in Morocco today who has the courage to criticise the illegal occupation of Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, is now facing a prison sentence and a massive fine.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Grandmothers and single mothers are among those being trained as community solar engineers, a programme which they say could transform lives in their communities
Source: This Is Africa
In a move that has dashed the hopes of equal treatment for the LGBTQI+ community in Zimbabwe, a Bill is set to go before that country’s parliament that would uphold the ban on same-gender marriage.
Source: VOA
Kenya’s high court on Friday upheld laws that criminalize gay sex. The much-anticipated ruling Friday was decided by a three-judge bench on Kenya’s High court in Nairobi.
Source: AllAfrica
Activists in Nigeria have accused police officers of raiding a Marie Stopes clinic in Lagos on May 21. The officers reportedly "harassed the health workers and patients and took away confidential client information".
Source: WHO
Beira — In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai which devastated large areas of Mozambique, a group of 15 dedicated women - mostly widows - have been credited with ensuring that sthere have been no cases of cholera in their district.
Source: IPS
Johannesburg — Does the name Ihsan Al Fagiri ring a bell? How about Heba Omer or Adeela Al Zaebaq?
It's likely that these names, among countless others, are not known to the average news consumer. But their tireless and dangerous work, however, has made news headlines as protests led to historic political change in Sudan.
Source: Premium Times
A group of human rights activists, women organisations and residents of the Federal Capital Territory has called for an end to the unlawful arrest of women in Abuja.
Source: Daily Trust
The Coalition for the Inclusion of Women in Governance (CIWG), yesterday, stormed the National Assembly to demand 50 allocation of leadership slots to women in the incoming 9th Assembly.
Source: New Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE's current economic problems have resulted in more women dying during childbirth, a senior government official has said.
Source: Malawi News Agency
Ntchisi — Female aspirants in the May 21 Tripartite Elections in Ntchisi District have complained of being sidelined by party officials in their campaign ahead of the elections.
Source: The Monitor
Gulu — Some graduates have disclosed that they are having difficulties in accessing employment because their potential employers demand sex in exchange for jobs.
Source: The Conversation
The role of women in the recent protests in Sudan has attracted a great deal of attention. This is because women who try to have a prominent public role in the country face criticism and can be accused of neglecting their family duties. This was particularly true after the introduction of Sharia law and Sudan's public order laws in 1983. These laws shaped gender norms and defined the position of women in Sudanese society.
But the rise of social media - and the use of smartphones - has enabled women to transcend these traditional gender norms and challenge the boundaries between different spaces.