While doing research on the Sande, a secret society of women in Africa dating back to at least the 1600s, I came across something interesting – the idea that the practice of clitoridectomy could be a source of female bonding and empowerment.
Clitoridectomy is the surgical removal of the clitoris and sometimes parts of the labia [...]
PBS news again covers real news and not a sensationalized misunderstanding. The recent annoyed reaction by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has overshadowed the purpose for her African tour and the message of human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rape and sexual slavery are frequently being used as weapons in the fighting of the [...]
Uganda has moved to ban female circumcision with support from President Yoweri Museveni. The law will award the death penalty to anyone who performs on a circumcision on a girl who ends up dying from the process.
Female genital circumcision (FGC), also often referred to as female genital cutting or mutilation, happens in some communities in [...]
Mozambique has taken a significant step in the fight to stop violence against women. Parliament recently passed the first reading of legislation establishing domestic violence as a crime separate from simple assault. This is the first of its kind in the country and could increase the penalties for committing violence against an intimate partner by [...]
The heads of state of the African Union met in Libya for the 13th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. Agriculture and its relation to economic growth and security was at center stage for the conference. Prior to the conference, a group of women’s rights advocates met to discuss the [...]
Human Rights Watch reports that Rwanda is considering a bill with scary mandates:
First it provides that all individuals who plan to marry must undergo HIV testing and provide a certificate beforehand. Second, married individuals are required to be tested for HIV/AIDS upon the request of their spouses. Third, if a physician finds it “necessary” for [...]
“It is more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier right now.”
Major General Patrick Cammaert, former UN Deputy Force Commander, describing the situation in eastern Congo, May 2008
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s history is one marred by violent colonial rule, rebellions, coups, permeable borders, and resource exploitation. In recent years a [...]
