A UNICEF report has found that an estimated 115 million boys and men worldwide were married as children. Of these, one in five (23 million) became child grooms before the age of 15. Of the 82 countries analysed, the Central African Republic was found to have the highest prevalence of this practice.
#BlueforSudan: Global awareness of the horrific violence and oppression currently happening in Sudan is gaining traction. Social media users the world over have been mobilized to change their profile pictures to a specific shade of blue in solidarity. What more is there to do? Here’s a list of ways you can take your support past Sudan blue.
Botswana publicised as one of Africa’s most democratic nations outlawed homosexuality under the country’s penal code since 1965 until now. The country becomes the latest African country to decriminalise same sex sexual conduct.
The Kenyan High Court has rejected a plea to declare sections 162 (a) and (c) and section 165 of the Penal Code unconstitutional. The plea, filed in 2016 by three Kenyan gay rights organisations, claimed that the sections have led to discrimination and the justification of violence against the LGBTQI+ community or persons presenting as such.
Law student and human rights activist Mary C. Namagambe is the founder of She for She. This hybrid company is working to tackle the lack of access to appropriate health care information and products, as well as the rate at which young girls in Africa are dropping out of schooling due to period poverty.
About 20 000 children born to Belgian settlers and African women in the 1940s and 1950s were forcibly taken to Belgium until the independence of each of its three colonies. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has apologised for these kidnappings and the subsequent treatment of these children
By now it is common knowledge that products marketed to women cost more. In some cases they cost multiple times more than the exact same products for men. This “pink tax” is imposed despite the fact that women are paid less than men. And in Africa, a lower level of quality seems to apply – as in the case of Proctor and Gamble’s Always sanitary products.
Niger’s top court has outlawed ‘”Wahaya”, a unique form of slavery currently practiced in that country. It involves the sale of young girls from Tuareg communities to wealthy and prominent Hausa individuals as an unofficial “fifth wife”.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has raised the country’s minimum wage for all Egyptian workers to 2 000 Egyptian Pound (US$116) a month, up from 1,200 Egyptian Pound. Pensions are also set to rise by 15 percent. We analyse why other countries should follow suit.
Not for the first time, Kenya is discussing the possibility of amending the Sexual Offences Act to lower the age of consent from 18 to 16 years. The discussion is highlighting the issue of predatory exposure and the responsibility of society in safeguarding the rights of children.
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