Trans women sex workers collective Sistaazhood launches photo book
African beliefs
African identities How ‘bride price’ reinforces negative stereotypes: a Ghanaian case study
Bride price practice has both social and psychological implications for the men who pay and those women for whom it is paid.
Politics and Society Why can Africans do no more than pray when disaster strikes?
It was possible to avert some of the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai. If African leaders did their job and were held to account, there would be no need to create hashtags for prayers when disasters strike the continent.
Politics and Society “Sexual cleansing” and the hyena men of Malawi
“Sexual cleansing” is a common harmful practice in several African countries where a woman is expected to have sex after her first period, after becoming widowed, or after an abortion, as a cleansing ritual. In Malawi, girls are forced to have sex with a paid sex worker, known as a “hyena”, once they reach puberty.
Lifestyle Trapped in a pigeon’s neck: Making up the myth of the hymen
Virginity is a social construct, which defines sex in narrow ways, resulting in the policing, stigmatization and shaming of women’s bodies. Sandy Abdelmessih says we should stop talking about hymens altogether, and instead be more concerned with pleasure; with our bodies and their extraordinary capabilities.
Politics and Society Traditional African medicine and conventional drugs: friends or enemies?
Plant – or herb-based treatments have been a key part of the continent’s traditional medicinal practices for thousands of years. But there are challenges. These include the fact that many consumers automatically assume “natural equals safe”.
Arts and Culture WATCH: Embracing Xhosa culture: White teen undergoes Xhosa initiation rite
A video of a fluent Xhosa-speaking teenager Chad “Xolani” Baling, 18, who recently successfully participated in a sacred initiation rite of passage ceremony in South Africa has set tongues wagging on social media. Baling lives with a Xhosa family in East London, and he went through the traditional Xhosa ulwaluko initiation rite to manhood. Some social media users have been applauding Chad for embracing a critical part of Xhosa culture, while others users having been critical of the custom calling it “outdated”.
Lifestyle Why we should talk to our kids about sex
Sex education on the continent is blind to the realities of its many young people, Kagure Mugo argues. It’s time to get real and to help them stay safe.
Arts and Culture Pop culture eyes the Orisha
Little by little, I am noticing more mention of Orisha in music, films and books than ever before.