A festival in the Bahamas has sparked renewed debate about the factors behind violence against women, writes Alicia Wallace, 29, a Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas. The people of The Bahamas have recently come to terms with the fact that a new festival is being brought to the country. In impassioned exchanges on the topic of …

“Controversy makes distinction clear: rape is not sex” Read More »

The tradition of gender-based discrimination is being challenged in the Bahamas, writes Alicia Wallace, 29, a Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas, who describes activism in support of equality. Known for its sun, sea, and sand, The Bahamas has a dirty little secret. Sexism lives and thrives in this chain of islands, supported by the constitution and …

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Salma Yusuf, a Sri Lankan-based human rights lawyer, lecturer and Commonwealth Correspondent, was invited to present a Sri Lankan perspective following the Colombo screening of the documentary “Girls Rising: Education of Girls”. The right to education has been recognized since the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, which states in Article 26 …

“Girls Rising: perspectives from Sri Lanka” Read More »

The United States Supreme Court made a long-awaited and historic decision on same-sex marriage, but as David Masengesho, 28, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kigali in Rwanda currently residing in the USA writes, the decision does not mean the end of the LGBT community’s struggle for equal human rights.  June 26, 2015, marked a historical day …

“Our tomorrow: LGBT moves to the future” Read More »

Kenya’s constitution promises equality for women, but as Brian Dan Migowe, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kenya explains, there are still hurdles to women’s participation and leadership. As the independence curtains opened to usher in a new day, the 12th of December 1963 became a significant day for the epitome of the Kenyan struggles for independence. …

“The voice for gender-inclusive policy” Read More »

Viewing images and videos that are known to be recorded and shared without the consent of those shown makes the viewer accessory to a criminal act, argues Alicia Wallace, 29, a Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas. The internet, mobile devices, and social media brought significant changes to the creation and sharing of information. We need only …

“Consent is required in an internet world” Read More »

Street harassment can take different forms in different places, writes Alicia Wallace, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas, but the impact on victims and responsibility of by-standers remains unchanged. It can be tough to explain to people that street harassment, though normalized, is not normal, and the practice is not linked to the culture of …

“I was harassed here. No one helped me” Read More »

Girls and women in Nigeria are getting a boost from a programme designed to help close the gender gap in school success rates, writes Timi Olagunju, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Lagos in Nigeria, who spoke to a trainer with the organisation. According to a 2014 UNESCO report, Nigeria has one of the largest number of …

“Initiative team empowers girls for the future” Read More »

LGBT refugees and asylum seekers require special consideration, as they face double persecution in both their home countries and in the refugee and diaspora communities, writes David Masengesho, 28, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kigali in Rwanda, currently residing in the USA. In countries where violence, human abuse and political oppression can ruin peoples’ lives, there …

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Feminism is a controversial issue, writes Omang Agarwal, 19, a Correspondent from India, but he suggests that looking at the women in one’s own family can make a strong argument in favour of gender equality. Feminism in India has been controversial and under fire due to the influence of many traditions, religions, customs and orthodox laws. …

“My reasons for supporting feminism” Read More »