Last week, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed Sahle-Work Zewde as Ethiopia’s first woman president and she will serve as president for the next six years. Sahle-Work Zewde is currently the only female head of state in Africa, although Ethiopia is one of many African nations who have had a female head of state. After […]
Kenyan Groups Empowering Women Are Also Changing Their Communities
Thanks to three different women’s groups in Kenya, rural villages are prospering.
70 Organizations Are Urging the President to Fund Abortion Care Abroad
The Feminist Majority and over 70 other groups released a letter to President Obama yesterday that calls on him to reinterpret the Helms Amendment and meet with the people running women’s health programs in Africa on an upcoming trip to the continent.
Women’s Rights Activists are Suing the Kenyan Government for Reproductive Rights
A woman in Kenya is suing the Kenyan government for failure to provide safe and legal abortions, which caused her daughter – a 15-year-old rape victim – to suffer a kidney failure after undergoing the procedure illegally.
New Nigerian Law Forbids Bans Genital Mutilation
Despite the progressive action, many say that it will take years for FGM practices to cease due its cultural pervasiveness.
Organizations Urge the President to Reinterpret Helms Amendment and Aid Nigerian Refugees
A campaign launched last week in response to more than 200 girls raped and impregnated by Boko Haram members urges President Obama to reinterpret the Helms Amendment to include abortion care.
Malawi’s Parliament Voted Unanimously to End Child Marriage
An estimated 50 percent of Malawian girls becoming child brides, and approximately one in eight girls are married by 15.
Maternal Death Rate in West Africa Expected to Rise Due to Ebola
One in seven women could die during childbirth in the West African countries most impacted by the Ebola crisis.
Instead of Returning Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls, Boko Haram Reportedly Abducted More Women and Girls
Despite Nigerian military officials last week announcing they had negotiated with militant group Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April, it appears the girls have not yet been released – and residents say more women and girls have been kidnapped since.
UN Ambassador Says the World Needs a “Wake-Up Call” on Ebola Crisis
“This should be a wake-up call for the international community. It’s the worst Ebola epidemic we’ve seen in history.”
More Investment in Women’s Health Needed as Africa’s Population Rises
Africa’s population could reach four billion by 2100. As the population grows, more investment in maternal health and family planning resources will be needed to ensure women’s health.
Ugandan President Signs Law Making HIV Transmission Illegal
Provisions of the law include possible imprisonment of HIV-positive individuals, a ten-year prison sentence and fine for the “intentional transmission of HIV,” a five-year prison sentence for “attempted transmission of HIV,” and compulsory testing in some situations.
In Liberia, The Ebola Outbreak is Also a Maternal Health Issue
Although the death toll from the virus itself is astounding, many people – including pregnant mothers – are also dying as hospitals and clinics shut their doors.
US-Africa Leaders Summit Closes With Funding Commitments and Focus on Women
After three days of unprecedented meetings between the US and leaders from nearly 50 African countries, the US Africa Leaders Summit ended Wednesday. In addition to public and private commitments of up to $33 billion for trade and investment, the United States called on leaders of the African continent to make a considerable investment in advancing the status of […]
African Union Launches First Campaign to End Child Marriage
The African Union launched its first campaign to curb child marriage in Africa last week, in cooperation with African governments, UNICEF, the UK Department for International Development, and several civil society organizations.
