Madagascar celebrates new contemporary art space

Madagascar celebrates new contemporary art space

Madagascar has welcomed its new Hakanto Contemporary gallery in Antananarivo with an exhibit celebrating local artists in a space committed to contemporary art. The “Here We Reach All the Dreams of the World” exhibit opening showcased Malagasy dancers, musicians, writers, designers and chefs, in a dedication of the 300 square…

Ugandan receives award for work on gender-based violence

Ugandan receives award for work on gender-based violence

A Ugandan advocate for women and children has been named as one of two recipients of the 2019 Ginetta Sagan Award, an honor Amnesty International gives each year to women who work to protect the most vulnerable in areas where human rights violations are widespread. Victoria Nyanjura, the founder of…

Study: Climate challenges linked to gender-based violence

Study: Climate challenges linked to gender-based violence

Climate change and related environmental challenges are implicated in gender-based violence and discrimination, notably in sub-Saharan Africa’s fishing and timber industries, according to a new study from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conflict over scarce resources can give rise to practices such as ‘sex-for-fish’ in parts of…

African youth, Sudan are priorities for U.S. diplomatic visits

Tibor Nagy, the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs for the United States, will begin a five-nation tour on the African continent on Wednesday. Nagy will visit the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan during the two-week journey.  The trip will highlight a U.S. commitment to African youth,…

Ugandan activist demands climate justice at COP25

A “Fridays for the Future” press conference, led by climate activists Greta Thunberg of Sweden and Luisa Neubauer of Germany on Monday, intentionally focused not on their highly visible voices but rather those activists who hail from the Global South. Among them was Hilda Nakabuye, a climate activist from Uganda…

Rising African entrepreneurs want more influence on policy

Monique Ntumngia of Cameroon had a strong piece of advice for young women entrepreneurs striving for success: “Bring your chairs to the table, as nobody will do it for you.” Ntumngia, speaking this week at the 2019 African Economic Conference in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, added that “youths in Africa are…

Summit in Kigali aims to boost women’s entrepreneurship

In Kigali, the African Development Bank has kicked off its World Summit on Gender with appeals to improve women’s access to financial resources they need to grow businesses and boost development. And with that, they received an endorsement from AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina. “When women borrow, they always pay back….

Zambian youth launch video on Kabwe’s toxic lead

Young environmental activists in Zambia released a new video on Monday to call attention to the longstanding problem of lead poisoning in Kabwe, where more than a century of mining impacts led to environmental disaster and lasting health consequences disproportionately affecting children. “Several neighborhoods in our town, Kabwe, have some…

Kenyan anti-FGM teens on short list for EU Sakharov Prize

Five students from Kenya have been named as short-list finalists for the European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded for exceptional achievements in human rights. The five – Stacy Owino, Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Mascrine Atieno and Ivy Akinyi – developed an app to help young women…

For Africa, Fridays for the Future marches are just beginning

The climate strike movement is just beginning and that’s certainly true for Africans. Friday climate marches grabbed all the headlines – and for good reason, since it’s the Fridays for the Future movement – but on the African continent the climate action promised to continue into the weekend and beyond….

Mauritian chef’s cookbook celebrates Indian Ocean cuisine

Move over, jollof wars of West Africa. For Selina Periampillai, a chef of Mauritian descent who grew up in London, it’s the scent of spices and the Indian Ocean cuisine that keeps her connected to a heritage that she’s now sharing with a new cookbook, “Island Kitchen.” Periampillai, along with…