Tag: Africa

Stories about any of the 54 countries on the continent of Africa.

April 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us

My hope is that each of you reading this column will do some research in your own communities to find out where the threats to the freedom to read lie. Talk to your local school and public librarians. Call your legislators, sign the petitions, run for your local school board, raise hell. 

And also, keep reading. Read the 34 books on this list or whatever else you can get your hands on. Then pass those books on to your friends, your kids, your friends’ kids, or donate them to your libraries and schools.  

Women Displaced by Climate Change Are Telling Us What They Need. It’s Past Time for Us To Listen.

Women and girls account for 80 percent of the people displaced by climate change. In Somalia, laws that limit women’s abilities to own assets mean they have less access to economic opportunities and tend to depend more on natural resources for their livelihoods, which makes them more vulnerable to displacement.

Once women are displaced, not only do they have to survive, they have to care for their families, all while evading the heightened risk of violence.

Why a Global Treaty Would Help End Violence Against Women and Girls

Ms. contributor Michelle Onello and co-founder of Every Woman Treaty, Lisa Shannon, discuss the causes and consequences of the recent rise in violence against women and girls, why a global treaty is necessary to meet their needs worldwide, and the prospects for moving forward with a treaty in the current political climate.

“In the absence of a global framework, we are allowing generations of frontline women’s rights activists to be stalked, harassed, beaten, murdered and chased out of their countries and forced to live in exile.”

Women Hold Up Half the Sky

As the United Nations assistant secretary-general for Africa, I know all too well the immense challenges women face in conflict situations, but I also have firm belief and appreciation of the important role they play in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and securing lasting peace.

From sexual and gender-based violence to a lack of access to education, healthcare, and jobs, women and girls are often disproportionately impacted by conflict. However, when it comes to access to the negotiating table in political and peace processes, it is more often men who take the seats. It is time to make sure that women’s participation in peace and security processes becomes the norm, not a token effort.

Ms. Global: Nigerian Elections; Spain Gains on Abortion and Trans Rights; Earthquake in Turkey and Syria Jeopardizes Pregnant Women

and

The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This time with news from Spain, Nigeria, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Virginia Sends its First Black Woman to Congress; Barbara Lee Enters California Senate Race

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Jennifer McClellan will be the first Black woman to represent Virginia in the House of Representatives; as an older generation steps back from political positions, more younger women step up to lead;

Ms. Global: Haiti’s Sexual Violence Surge; Saudi Women Become High-Speed Train Drivers; Murders of Women Journalists on the Rise

and

The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to healthcare. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This month: News from Sierra Leone, Brazil, Senegal, India, China, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and more.