This year’s International Women’s Day in Cameroon focuses on “Gender Equality by 2030”, writes Alphonse Akouyu, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Cameroon, who spoke with journalist and coach Ayuk Besong Anne Chantal and Tchatcheut Yonga Nelly Shella, coordinator at the Buea Rural Women Development Centre, to discuss the situation for Cameroon’s women. Could you give …
With International Women’s Day in mind, Carole Nyemeck, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Yaounde in Cameroon met with Hawaou Adamou, the president of AFHADEV, an association that helps ostracised and abused girls and women become educated and financially independent. What is AFHADEV and what does it stand for? AFHADEV stands for Hausa Women Association for Development. …
International Women’s Day prompted Summaya Afaq, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Karachi, Pakistan, to reflect on Muniba Mazari, a woman who could rightly be called a warrior or ‘iron woman’ for her approach to extraordinary struggles. Pakistan’s Muniba Mazari is an artist, writer, motivational speaker, host and philanthropist, but she believes that she could not have achieved …
Mothers are advocating for their daughters’ rights to exist as black people, unashamed of their roots – from historical to follicle – writes Alicia Wallace, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas. Young women are holding fast to their identities and rights as citizens and members of the African diaspora. They are unapologetic about the natural …
Equality for Caribbean women will require an understanding of history and a change in culture, writes Khadija Holder, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Trinidad and Tobago. “It is how you see yourself, and not how other see you, that is truly important.” Yet, is this really the reality for Caribbean women? When a woman’s strength, …
Repealing a little-used law against homosexuality sparked a potentially divisive debate, but Angelique Pouponneau, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from the Seychelles, reports that the result was in favour of tolerance and human rights. It was announced early March in the State of the Nation address that a section of the Seychelles penal code would be repealed. The …
Abdur Rafay Usmani, 21, a Correspondent from Karachi in Pakistan, argues that gender empowerment will not only allow the marginalised to overcome their sense of powerlessness, but will also have a profound impact on a nation’s economy. There is a widespread misconception that gender and sex are two interchangeable terms. Sex refers to the biological characteristics …
A focus on the sexuality of victims distracts from the real issues behind brutal killings, writes Shannay Williams, 18, a Correspondent from St. Thomas in Jamaica. Do all heterosexuals have sex? Does it mean that because you are straight you are sexually active? In Jamaica a recent controversy has erupted over these very questions. The question …
A controversial scholarship raises questions about education around the issues of sex and health, writes Bonolo Madibe, 20, a Correspondent from South Africa, now living in the UK. Over the past couple of years we have seen an increase in feminist discourse, not only in schools but also on social media, TV and even in …
Feminism is for everyone, says Ashley Tan Yu Yi, 16, a Correspondent from Singapore. Men and women have a critical role to play in eliminating gender disparities. As a typical teenager struggling with a borderline unhealthy case of internet addiction, I have come across several articles and videos of women proudly calling themselves “feminists.” However, …