Region: East Africa
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Women are still feeding a gender unbalanced world
By Caroline Wahome My father hardly cooked. I only remember two instances where he offered to prepare lunch. He didn’t go to the market either for groceries shopping. I can picture him with a ‘kiondo’ (woven basket) haggling over potato and cabbage price. That would never have happened. When he purchased land, he didn’t register…
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More than defying the odds to create a gender equal world
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, this year’s theme #BalanceforBetter provides a breeding ground for recognizing the potential of a gender equal world in ending inequalities that continue to exist in our society. Hivos adds a voice to this momentous occasion by sharing the stories of some of the amazing and powerful women we…
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Breaking Barriers
Women account for more than half of the number people living with HIV globally. Further, they have borne the brunt of the disease in a context of gender inequality, violence and often not being prioritized in national responses except during pregnancy to prevent transmission. The disproportionate rates of infections amongst women point out to vulnerabilities…
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Stop ‘labelling’ me
In Tanzania, people with albinism live in constant fear of being tortured, killed or persecuted. The home to Africa’s biggest mountain has been a breeding ground of hardship and injustice for this vulnerable group over the years. While the government has set up measures to ensure their physical safety; poverty, stigma, discrimination and segregation continue…
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I am equally powerful
For transwomen, navigating society’s conservative turf is a difficult tide they have to traverse. From misgendered labels to purported impostor syndrome; they constantly have to demand for a seat at the table as women. In Kenya, the situation is not any different, transgender persons (trans men and trans women in general) have often been classified…
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I will not negotiate for my humanity
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that one in five women is likely to experience disability in her lifetime. For women with disability, the odds against them are double tiered; first for being a ‘woman’ and secondly as a person with disability, having limited access to opportunities such as education, justice, economic rights and the…
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Decriminalization: a new dawn for human rights in Kenya
Update: Today, May 24 2019, is a sad day indeed. The Kenyan High Court missed a golden opportunity to protect the human rights of all its citizens by failing to repeal section 162 of the penal code that criminalizes consensual sexual conduct between two adults of the same sex. So the struggle for human rights…
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Fair pay, a thorny issue in flower farms
By Caroline Wahome Cynthia*(34) was overjoyed when she got a job at a flower farm in Limuru. She had been searching for over two years and chances kept getting slimmer as unemployment in Kenya continued to rise. There was a caveat though from her new employer: she had to find a place to leave her…
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Hivos East Africa partners in a TV reality show to strengthen women leadership
The Women@Work Campaign is partnering in a Kenyan TV reality show with Media Focus on Africa. The show’s aim is to strengthen women’s leadership qualities. It premiered on January 30 in Nairobi, and some 70 women contestants are now vying for the title of Ms President.
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‘Connecting the world to stories that matter’
World Press photo exhibition makes its mark in Dar es Salaam ‘A picture paints a thousand words’; this is a statement that many artists and visual enthusiasts have begun to identify with in recent times. This is one of the many reasons, the World Press Photo exhibition 2018 made its mark in Dar es Salaam…
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Women’s entrepreneurship in the energy sector is gaining momentum
ENERGIA presents lessons from its Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) program over the last four years At present, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to modern sources of energy. Since we know expanding the role of women in the economy can speed up development, help combat poverty and reduce inequalities (OECD, 2010b), why not…
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A New Year’s resolution: food choices for more than one reason in 2019.
A New Year is a great time to reflect, journal resolutions and hopefully plan for a new lifestyle. This usually checks in after an indulgent season of rest, making merry and re-connecting with friends and family. However as you reflect on a new season, do you think about your personal contribution to climate change? In…