What can we do about the missing voices of women in the news?
Gender inequality is entrenched in Africa: In governments, in organisations and even in media. In newsrooms, women are underrepresented at every level, as well as in news coverage. A report released in December 2020 revealed the marginalisation of women’s voices in news coverage around the world. In The Missing Perspectives of Women in News, study authors audience strategy expert Luba Kassova and AKAS […]
Reject unrealistic beauty ideals that harm African women
Beauty is a function of consensus. To determine that something possesses beauty, it must align with socially-accepted criteria for beauty. In the Beauty Myth, Naomi Woolf writes that beauty is not a function of evolution, sex, gender, aesthetics or God, yet “women must embody it and men must want to possess women who embody it. […]
Quiz: How well do you know your presidents?
How many women have led African countries? This was the debate last week as President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania took oath of office, following the death of her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli. Most people couldn’t agree whether acting presidents should be included in the count, so the final figure is still a matter of debate. […]
Cisi: Why do women desire marriage, an institution that doesn’t favour us?
The danger of having a narrow-minded notion of success is that it neglects how different shoes fit different sizes, thereby expecting people to live up to ridiculous standards that are in conflict with their real selves. Lies disguise as truths until they are questioned. For ages, society has lied that a woman’s crowning glory is a […]
On campaign trail, women’s issues remain unspoken
When Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) designed their manifesto for the January 2021 elections, issues affecting women were given little attention. Given that NRM has control over parliament, with more than 63 per cent of legislators, one would be forgiven for assuming that for the next five years, the […]
Digital archives can put the hidden work of women on record
When Nigerian journalist Angela Ulunma Agoawike was conducting research for her university project in the late 1980s, she had difficulties finding the information on women in politics. “I visited two university libraries – Nsuka and Port Harcourt – but there was not much literature on women like Margaret Ekpo, a frontline politician in her time. Despite the involvement of women in […]
Pandemic sacrifices: How COVID-19 stalled my career
I began working as a freelance writer and journalist in 2018, after leaving my job in HR consulting. I loved writing and I wanted more flexibility: I wanted to spend time with my daughter. After my son was born in 2019, I had less time to work on my writing career. Taking care of the baby […]
For video vixens, misogyny is an occupational hazard
We live in a patriarchal society, and when we speak of patriarchy, it’s not just about men, but a system. A social system in which men hold the power, leaving women largely excluded from it. And as with all social systems, it has mores, norms and institutions put in place to sustain it. Patriarchy is […]
Comedy duo takes on societal ills with satire
Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya and Sharon “Magi” Chideu have been creating humorous and satirical content tackling the day-to-day issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans for nearly a decade. Mention Gonyeti and Magi and you will get knowing nods and smiles in response. Kureya chose Gonyeti as her stage name with reference to the size of her body – Gonyeti is street slang for the size of haulage trucks. Chideu goes […]
End media bias against women in politics
When Patricia Olubunmi Etteh was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria in June 2007, she made history. She was the first woman to occupy that position, but media reportage downplayed her achievement. Initial commentary focused on her professional background as a hairdresser and beauty therapist, creating perceptions that she was not deserving […]
