Letters of recommendation
On the South African-born anthropologist John Comaroff and the political economy of silence in academia.
Women
Who was Huda Shaarawi?
Egyptian women's struggle today stands on the shoulders of many historical role models. One of them is Huda Shaarawi.
Wyuyata’s story
While Sierra Leone has come very far in its fight against sexual violence the question of safeguarding victims especially children needs urgent attention.
Turning the camera back home
The women filmmakers in the Ethiopian diaspora who have taken the risk of dedicating their lives to documenting their homeland.
There is no fight without the women
During Guinea-Bissau’s war of liberation, women filled key positions on the frontline. That is often forgotten in the mythology of the struggle for independence.
Disappearing from view
The multifaceted effects of gender-based violence on girls in Malawi.
Sudanese women on the front lines of the resistance
Sudanese women took part in the revolution in large numbers for the same reasons they are now part of the resistance against this treacherous coup: Their human rights are at stake.
The long term prospects for women’s liberation in Egypt
One year, ten years, one hundred years on, the path for Egypt’s women has not been linear.
Postfeminism is only for wealthy Nigerian women
To have—or, at least, claim—a sense of self that is “already empowered” or happily unencumbered by power relations, requires a fair bit of material privilege.
Decolonize this
To undo the misrepresentation of women of color in global media, we need a historically grounded solidarity.
Ethiopian women making movies
The presence of successful female writers, directors, and producers set Ethiopia's film industry apart from Hollywood, Bollywood, and the rest of world cinema.
The many lives of Nawal El Saadawi
El Sadaawi died on March 21, 2021. Her complex and evolving positions mean there is more than one version of her to commemorate.
In search of Ethiopia’s past and present
The film "Finding Sally" grapples with Ethiopia's past, but may romanticize its present.
A compassionate take on an invisible struggle
A new film by South African director Nomawonga Khumalo represents the contradictions and nuances of black women’s interior lives.
Take the soul from everyone, and the liberty of all
The treatment of victims of rape and sexual violence in Senegal, a country in which the bodies of women have always been an arena for political battles.
A female Secretary-General will not change how the UN works
Women say it is their turn to lead the United Nations. But can a female head of the UN change the organization’s work culture and correct the power imbalances among UN member states?
More than a freedom fighter
A new book about Rose Chibambo lifts the veil of post-colonial romanticism from her story. We get a moving, nuanced portrait in her own words.
The workings of extremism
Nigeria’s 2021 submission to the Oscars probes the psychology and propaganda of militant jihadism through the eyes of two sisters.
Hamba Kahle Sibongile Khumalo
South African singer Sibongile Khumalo (1957-2021) was a musical giant. She also launched her own label and advocated for women's rights.