Region: Southern Africa
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We Link, We Learn – We Lead! Empowering young women and girls
Read our reflections on a week-long event that brought young women and girls from across the globe together to share lessons, experiences and innovative approaches to advocate for sexual reproductive health and rights, or #SRHR.
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Celebrating women’s strength and solidarity beyond International Women’s Day
By Rumbidzayi Cordelia Machimbirike, S(HE) Matters Project Officer, Hivos Southern Africa It’s wonderful to see the world embracing Women’s Month and celebrating the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” This annual celebration recognizes the remarkable contributions women have made throughout the year and underscores the ongoing fight for gender…
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R.O.O.M. launches the Progressive African Counter Narratives series
The Resource of Open Minds (R.O.O.M.) program in Southern Africa recently launched the Progressive African Counter Narratives lecture series. It features the unique perspectives of Dr. Alexander Rusero, Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, and award-winning tech-prenuer Sam Masikini. R.O.O.M. is concerned with both informed and grassroots civic participation in democratic, governance, human rights and Pan-African processes. The…
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Strengthening personal connections for healthier cities
One of Hivos’ new climate justice projects is Urban Futures. While it has a global scope, in Zambia the project will be working in Kitwe and Chongwe, and in Zimbabwe, in Bulawayo and Mutare. The primary objective of Urban Futures is to develop more inclusive, climate-resilient urban food systems. By working towards livable cities with…
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Building coalitions for gender rights in Namibia
By Luckmore Jalasi, Global Capacity Strengthening Officer, Free to be Me It’s 9 AM on a hot summer day in Lusaka, Zambia, and Simalumba, a pro bono lawyer, is visiting a client named Suzyo who has been incarcerated for over a year without trial. Suzyo is being held under Namibia’s colonial-era sodomy laws. Suspecting him,…
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Hivos launches two new climate projects
With two new projects, launched during COP 28, Hivos will work together with two specific groups that are disproportionally affected by the climate crisis: girls and Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon.
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Open letter to African leaders: protect African peoples’ interests at COP28
Last September’s African Climate Summit, where African leaders gathered to decide on collective positions ahead of COP28 in Dubai, proved a disappointment in several important ways. The summit’s declaration just made a cursory mention of women, youth and Indigenous communities, while ignoring the elephants in the room – oil and gas – where most new…
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Changing norms for rural women in Zimbabwe
International Rural Women’s Day is often overlooked, but not by our Women Empowerment group and partners in Zimbabwe. Hivos joined partners Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) and General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (Gapwuz) in an event last October to honor women in the Hwedza rural community. The first International Day of…
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Carving out new paths as the #AfricanCrossroads gathering returns!
By Shamiso Mahomva, Project Officer, African Crossroads, Hivos Southern Africa Hosted and organized by Hivos, African Crossroads is a community of future-oriented African thinkers and doers. Since 2018 – when the African Crossroads program was launched – we have gathered every year to explore different themes that reflect the opportunities and challenges that our continent…
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New approaches needed to improve women’s political participation in Zimbabwe
By Nana Zulu, Regional Director, Hivos Southern Africa Zimbabwean women, who make up more than half of the electorate, have long been struggling to secure a foothold in the political arena. This situation persists despite a supportive legal and policy framework. Section 56 of the Zimbabwean Constitution protects the right of every woman to vote…
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International Day of Peace: Finding hope for women in Zimbabwe
By Rutendo Singadi, Communications Intern, Hivos Southern Africa In a world ridden with conflict and discord, International Day of Peace serves as a powerful reminder of our hope for harmony and a peaceful world. Every year on September 21, the world connects in celebration and reflection on the importance of fostering peace – both within…
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Fighting to get more women into politics in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s local, provincial, parliamentary and presidential elections are on August 23. Unfortunately, it has become even more difficult for women to hold political office than in the last elections in 2018. “The economic crisis in our country hits them much harder than men,” says Nana Zulu, regional director of Hivos in Southern Africa. “So it…
