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Welcome to the archives of News Deeply’s Women & Girls Hub. While we paused regular publication of the site on January 22, 2018, and transitioned our coverage to Women’s Advancement Deeply, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on the Arctic. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors contributors.
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Rumbi Chakamba is a freelance journalist based in Southern Africa. With a background in international relations, Rumbi specializes in regional development and gender. She has nine years’ experience in journalism and a passion for storytelling. Follow her on Twitter @rumbiechakamba.
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Each year, hundreds of people - most of them women – were killed for being suspected witches. Rights activists say raising awareness and investing in development can help stop communities from turning on their elders.
While the world focuses on sexual violence perpetrated by clashing groups in conflict zones, researchers are warning that the real danger to women is being ignored: violence from their husbands, fathers and other men they know.
Ahead of the upcoming by-election, Malawi has made it cheaper for women candidates to run. But in past elections, while the fee reduction helped get more women on the ballot, it did nothing to get more of them into parliament.
The public, daylight assault of a woman wearing a miniskirt in Botswana has sparked a protest movement of women demanding the right to wear whatever they want without fear.
In South Africa, many activists and health workers argue that prostitution should be decriminalized to improve the lives of sex workers – and they are sorely disappointed by a long-awaited report that recommended keeping the practice illegal.
Vaginal microbicides are meant to give women autonomy over how they protect themselves against HIV. But a recent study set in Zambia shows that social ideas of masculinity mean men get to dictate how and when women use microbicides.
In Tanzania, an organization providing free obstetric fistula operations is changing the lives of many women who suffer from the condition but are unable to have the expensive corrective surgery.
Discrimination and misunderstanding of the law are causing tensions between Malawi’s police and sex workers, who often accuse officers of abusing them. A local NGO is stepping in to help sex workers uphold their rights and teach police to look past the stigma.
Kenya’s parliament has missed a mandated deadline to enact a law that requires all elected bodies have at least one-third representation of women. With the parliament adjourned ahead of August 8 elections, activists aren’t giving up the fight for affirmative action.
In many African countries, women who are in need of C-sections aren’t able to get them, causing some to die in labor. Researchers have found that enlisting nurses to carry out the procedure could save lives across the continent.
With the rise of smartphones and social media, the problem of revenge pornography is growing across sub-Saharan Africa. But countries such as Zimbabwe have failed to introduce laws to protect victims against this destructive trend.
A study in Zambia shows that a malaria prevention drug given to pregnant women not only protects them from the disease, but also reduces their risk of contracting sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections. This, in turn, improves birth outcomes.
At a hospital in Botswana’s capital, the introduction of a weekly meeting for cervical cancer care providers has resulted in a sharp reduction in delays for treatment.
On the African continent, opportunities for girls to pursue careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – are limited, but a new all-girls academy in Ghana aims to open more avenues for African girls interested in these important fields.
In Angola, women’s rights activists are fighting against proposed changes to the country’s laws that will remove exceptions that allow for abortions in certain cases and prescribe sentences of up to 10 years for offenders.
In Zimbabwe, widows’ property is frequently stolen by their in-laws. While there are laws in place to prevent this, researchers say they’re difficult to enforce and that widows themselves lack awareness of their rights.
In South Africa, women are often harassed – and in some cases raped – when using the country’s minibus taxis. Activists and taxi industry leaders are hoping a campaign to educate taxi drivers about gender-based violence will help keep women safer.
To find work, many Zimbabwean women illegally cross the borders into Botswana and South Africa. But during the crossing through the bush, they risk being attacked by “gumagumas” – gangs who rob and frequently rape their victims.
A push to bring some gender balance to South African mining has seen a rise in the number of women in the industry. But a lingering culture of discrimination and sexual harassment means humiliating and potentially dangerous conditions for the women working underground.
Critics say a proposed Kenyan bill meant to protect the education rights of pregnant girls would unfairly punish schools. But Chi-Chi Undie of the Population Council says the law – if implemented correctly – could help thousands of young mothers stay in school.
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