TAG: Africa

The Voice of Libyan Women: A progressive voice amid violence and insecurity

Women were at the forefront of the pro-democracy protests in Libya in 2011, which, after escalating into civil war, culminated in the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. But in the years that have followed, as state institutions have crumbled and insecurity prevails, women have struggled to have their voices heard.

New issue of Reproductive Health Matters: sexuality, sexual rights and sexual politics

The issue 46 of Reproductive Health Matters focuses on the theme “Sexuality, sexual rights and sexual politics” and brings articles offering “a wide range of analysis, perspectives and evidence that highlight the nexus between sexual health and human rights and deepen our knowledge about the challenges and opportunities for individuals of any sexual orientation or […]

2015 Sexual Politics Round- Up

As the year heads toward its end, SPW recollects main trends and facts in sexual politics worldwide. January Pope Francis drew global attention after urging the faithful not to reproduce as “rabbits”. The remarks sparked reactions from the most diverse quarters actors (here and here). In Chile, a new law was approved that recognized civil unions […]

Campaigning for the right to safe abortion – Highlights from 2015

International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion’s roundup from 2015.

Remembering Fatema Mernissi

This tribute is to Fatema Mernissi: mentor, insightful teacher, organic intellectual, incisive feminist, powerful voice, charismatic presence, craftswoman, generous host, and friend.

Feminist Studies’s call for paper: Decolonial and Postcolonial Approaches: A Conversation

Deadline: March 1, 2016 Decolonial and postcolonial approaches have long informed and animated feminist scholarship and activism, but often not at once nor in the same spaces. They each bear the markings of the regional and historical affiliations of their respective scholars. The decolonial turn is often (though sometimes inaccurately) associated with indigenous scholars and […]

New issue of Kohl: a Journal for Body and Gender

The second issue of Kohl: a Journal for Body and Gender Research is out. Kohl serves as an alternative platform of knowledge production. It tackles feminisms, bodies, and sexualities, as they intersect with other identities and struggles in the Middle East, South West Asia, and North Africa region. The current issue’s theme is The Non-Exotic Erotic: […]

Sierra Leone Parliament votes to reform abortion law

Today in Sierra Leone, the country’s parliament voted unanimously in favor of a new abortion law that will make safe abortion legal. According to the World Health Organization, Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, including significant contribution from unsafe abortion.

Documenting the LGBTQ Community in Uganda: I AM OTHER

In 2014, Rihanna, a 22 year-old transgender woman living in Kampala, Uganda was arrested and jailed under Section 145 of the Ugandan Penal Code Act for having “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” — or simply put, for being LGBTQ.

Dispatches: Kenyan President Stepping Forward on LGBT Rights?

Neela Ghoshal Senior Researcher, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program NeelaGhoshal Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta made his strongest statement to date in support of basic rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, in an October 18 interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. For the first time, he publicly condemned violence and “witch hunts” against […]

Research Report for Transilience Project on Violence against Transgender Women in South Africa 2014

The Research Report for Transilience Project on Violence against Transgender Women 2014 offers relevant qualitative data to understand the discrimination and violence faced by transgender community in different parts of South African society.

Zanele Muholi: From SPW Newsletter nº 8 to New York Times

In SPW Newsletter nº8 (2010), we higlighted Zanele Muholi’s artwork about queer identities in South Africa. By that time, the Minister of Arts and Culture slashed a piece of art featuring lesbian black couples as “immoral” and “pornographic . Five years later, Muholi’s work is under spot on New York Times’s website. Click here to read […]