Open Contracting offers the government of Malawi the biggest hope in winning its war against corruption according to a new report by Hivos Southern Africa and Article 19. The report indicates that governments worldwide spend an estimated USD 9.5 trillion annually on public contracting and calls for the need to commit to open contracting standards […]
As part of the Human Rights Day 2016 commemoration in Zimbabwe, the Dutch Royal Embassy and Hivos Southern Africa invited innovators and human rights practitioners to participate in an Internet and Human Rights Innovation Challenge (IHRC). We asked innovators to share ideas on how to effectively use the internet to advance human rights in Zimbabwe. […]
Munya (23) works as a street vendor, selling perfumes and deodorant in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. After his first-ever relationship broke up, he found out he was HIV-positive. It was thanks to Hivos that Munya was able to access testing and treatment. On World Aids Day, he overcomes his somewhat shy nature to tell us his personal […]
The #HappyFlow Campaign recently presented a Call to Action for the provision of free sanitary pads in schools to members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum of young women activists from DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Katswe, through the Pepeta Africa, a network of young women SRHR activists, recently presented a […]
In Southern Africa, as in many parts of Africa, menstruation, which should be a sign of transition into womanhood, poses a threat to young girls’ development. Because menstruation is regarded as a taboo, and the cost of sanitary wear and towels is beyond the reach of many, young women and girls are forced to suffer […]
The Chipendeke Micro Hydro scheme is located approximately 80 kilometers south of Mutare, Zimbabwe’s fourth largest capital city. It provides a compelling example of how building the renewable energy value chain is essential to providing sustainable, renewable energy access to a remote, rural area. (A ‘value chain’ is the whole series of activities that create and […]
Zambia is a potentially rich country, with a predominantly young population, abundant land, water and minerals. However, this country is somewhat surprisingly dangling at the bottom of the 2016 Global Hunger Index. Nagging challenge Malnutrition has actually been a nagging challenge for the people of Zambia for quite a long time now, without much improvement. […]
The #HappyFlow campaign is lobbying for free sanitary wear to be distributed in public schools and public spaces in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The campaign is premised on the idea that sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) matter, therefore every human who experiences menstruation has a right to sanitary wear. Katswe Sistahood, […]
Climate change is already having an impact on agriculture with severe implications for food security, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report “The State of Food and Agriculture: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security” states that smallholder agriculture, which is predominant in Zambia, is particularly vulnerable to climate […]
The age of consent in terms of accessing sexual reproductive health (SRH) services such as contraceptives and HIV counselling and testing is not provided for in laws and policies in the majority of countries in Southern Africa. This has created barriers for young people to access SHR services. To address this critical barrier preventing youth […]
Sanitary wear is considered a luxury item that is often sold at prohibitive prices for the majority of girls and women living in Southern Africa. As a result, girls who are menstruating are reluctant to go to school if they cannot afford sanitary pads or may engage in transactional sex to pay for them. Many […]