Source: IPS News Agency
Last fall, a 45-year-old father of four named Moses turned on the radio at his home in Arusha, Tanzania. Searching for his favorite station, he heard the introduction to a program about girls that he would later describe as 'ear-catching.' He wanted to know what would come next.
Source: The Conversation
Numerous countries have committed themselves to promoting the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls by ratifying international human rights treaties. These include the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Nigeria ratified the convention on women’s rights in 1985 and the convention on child rights in 1991. But sexual and reproductive health among women and girls in Nigeria remains poor. The country has the second-largest HIV epidemic in the world. And women making up more than half of people living with HIV. It also has persistently high rates of maternal and perinatal mortality. In 2013, Nigeria accounted for about 14% of the global burden of maternal mortality. Nigeria has high rates of unsafe abortion (approximately 33 unsafe abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age). The country also has high levels of female genital cutting and low levels of contraceptive use.
Source: New Era Live
Despite growing calls by government officials discouraging the withdrawal of gender-based violence cases, the country has recorded 404 withdrawals last year, Chief Justice Peter Shivute announced yesterday.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
From legislative loopholes to cultural norms, women worldwide still face barriers in accessing land, researchers said on Thursday, despite evidence that tenure rights can protect them from the worsening effects of climate change.
Source: Intelligent CIO
The ‘2021 Tomorrow’s Cyber Heroines’ study undertaken by CyberHeroines, KnowBe4 Africa, and Infosphere Limited surveyed more than 445 teachers across 14 African countries to unpack the complexities that face African girls in the technology landscape. With Africa’s future reliant on its ability to adapt to Digital Transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), leveling the playing field for women has become critical. It has never been more important to change the cybersecurity workforce gender statistics than it is today.
“We have to give girls more opportunities, inspire them to get involved in technology and the cybersecurity field and to remove the preconceived and socialized ideas that prevent women from pursuing careers in technology,” said Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist, KnowBe4 Africa. “The world is digitizing rapidly and women are at risk of being left behind. We have to change the dialogue around technology and make it more inclusive for women and girls.”
Women are already at a disadvantage. A recent study by the Association for Progressive Communications underscored the reality of the gender digital divide. In Africa women have less access to Internet-based technologies than men, they have fewer opportunities, they are even more limited in their ability to move out from under poverty. As the world continues to move into automation, women will be the most affected as their roles are replaced by machines. Change has to start now, it has to start at home, and it has to be carried through into education.
Aprielle Oichoe, Managing Director of InfoSphere, said: “We want African women to participate in the digital age – we cannot leave them behind. We must empower girls to go into technology and this starts at a young age. We need to make a conscious decision to change the way we treat young girls. The dialogue needs to focus on making technology interesting for girls, not just something that they should ‘leave to their brother’.”
The study found that a lack of education, limited guidance, minimal role models, and societal preconceptions are having a serious, long-term impact on women’s careers and futures. With cybersecurity and technology struggling to find skilled people, the market is wide open for those with the talent and the training to build sustainable and successful futures. In addition to thriving careers, training and education in technology and cybersecurity are essential for the well-being of young girls and women in Africa.
“According to research, women of color are 34% more likely to be targeted by online hate speech than their white counterparts and a huge percentage of African girls are concerned about their online safety,” said Collard. “We must give them the tools, training, and confidence they need to prepare for this online vitriol and protect themselves.”
The key factors inhibiting women’s entry to the worlds of technology and cybersecurity include negative stereotypes, lack of role models or mentors, low self-confidence, and competing in a male-dominated industry. Women are generally discouraged from careers in STEM and steered towards traditionally female roles instead.
“There is no such thing as a female role, not anymore. Now there is just opportunity. We just have to make sure that this opportunity is given to everyone,” added Oichoe.
The report unpacks the findings, insights, and solutions put forward by educators and experts across Africa. It examines the education curriculum, the challenges facing young African girls today and it looks at suggested initiatives that can be implemented to shift perceptions and transform the future for the women of Africa.
Source: Positive.News
Young women in the west African nation are lifting car bonnets and challenging the notion that mechanics is a man’s job. Being a young woman in an African Muslim country usually means staying at home and raising children. But in the hot and dusty outskirts of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, girls and women from often disadvantaged backgrounds are being trained to become something quite different: car mechanics.
Source: Lesotho Times
Lockdown restrictions aimed at fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in Lesotho have had an unintended adverse negative impact of undermining women's customary land rights, a regional human rights body has found.
Source: allAfrica
More than 10,000 girls over 30 years. That's how many girls three women here cut in female genital mutilation rituals - almost one girl a day, every day, spanning three decades.
Now in their 70s, Chepchongil Cheleston, Kokarupe Lorwu and Methani Chepurai Lokuda are female genital mutilation survivors and former cutters who have turned their backs on the blade, fighting against the harmful practice and encouraging a younger generation to do the same.
Source: GhanaToday
CAMFED Ghana, as part of its support for entrepreneurs, recently provided 60 young women entrepreneurs with start-up kits, specialist equipment, and training, to enable them to launch or grow their businesses in 2021.
Source: UNFPA East and Southern Africa
Reflections by Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
As governments and communities rallied together to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, other humanitarian crises caused by conflict and natural disasters continued unabated. This is the situation faced by Mozambique, a nation that was still wrestling with the devastating impact of two cyclones in 2019 when a tropical storm and another cyclone hit recently – amid the violent conflict in its northern reaches. By the time the New Year rang in, more than 1.3 million Mozambicans were in need of humanitarian aid and protection.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Technology invented by young doctor Conrad Tankou has made cervical and breast cancer screening easier in rural areas of Bamenda in northwestern Cameroon.
Source: The Point
The Women’s Bureau is intensifying its campaign against deeply-rooted, cultural traditional practise, dubbed, Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGC/M), Gender Based Violence, Early and forceful marriage among host of other issues affecting the wellbeing of women and girls.
Source: Aljazeera
After securing historic gains, the political engagement and representation of Tunisian women is now waning alarmingly.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Charlette N'Guessan Desiree loved maths and science as a student in Ivory Coast but never imagined she would one day use her problem-solving savvy to develop facial recognition technology more adept at identifying and verifying African faces. Her company, BACE Group, hopes its artificial intelligence (AI) software will be used across the continent - helping universities to verify students for financial services, banks to sign up new clients, and security firms to fight crime.
Source: Nation
There is now hope of Kenyan female entrepreneurs gaining more traction in the African continent’s trade sector as the African Union’s flagship project of a free trade zone takes effect.
Source: allAfrica
Somali women's rights activists and politicians want a 30% quota for female lawmakers to be enshrined in law. Ahead of upcoming elections, female candidates and campaigners are apprehensive.
Source: Reuters
From a women-only driving school to an all-female taxi service — a South African activist-turned-entrepreneur has been tackling high rates of sexual assault by providing safe transport in one of the country's most crime-ridden areas.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
In Ethiopia’s Tigray, allegations of sexual abuse by soldiers are widespread, putting health services under strain for beds, contraception and STI tests.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
CAIRO, Jan 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Egypt's cabinet has toughened a law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) - imposing jail terms of up to 20 years as part of efforts to stamp out the ancient practice.
Source: Africa News
As greener solutions become the future for the automobile industry, a local start-up in Ghana is providing the platform for female engineers in a sector dominated by men. The automobile manufacturing industry has for years been dominated by men. A team of young female engineers is poised to change the narrative. Solartaxi Ghana is a local start-up helping women contribute to finding greener solutions. The start-up seeks to promote the use of electric vehicles across the country. And these women are at the forefront of driving that ambition.