I was raised as a very traditional Catholic. I went to Sunday school, I served as an usher and at some point, I even did a brief stint with the choir. Later on in life after graduating from an all-girls high school and going to college in a foreign land, in my early twenties, far…
Radicalisation and violent extremism remains a significant threat to many African countries. With a youth bulge demanding accountability and for those in power to address historical grievances and a lack of economic opportunities, extremist ideologies continue to flourish. Radicalisation is defined as a process by which an individual or a group adopts increasingly extreme political,…
I used to think it was the darkness That put you in a bad place I’ve only now come to realize It’s the lights that flood your existence That seem to haunt you As soon as they come on You look for the spots the lights don’t reach So you can crawl there, covered by…
Kelemua Tadesse is in her 60s and currently living in Addis Ababa. All the people who know Kelemua well consider her as a brave woman with many untold stories. As AfricanFeminism (AF) is featuring the HERStory #ስለሷ series, I wanted to know why and how they believe she is a brave woman. She was in…
If you are reading this surrounded by other women, I will suggest you pose for a minute and start asking each other, what is female sex pleasure? How would you describe it? Chances are, if you are in a group of 10, you might have at least 6 different description of what sex satisfaction for…
It is painfully obvious that I am a feminist. Painfully because it has become so that it is not possible to have any other conversation other than my feminism. Somedays it peeves me. Some days, I say, “Wake Up and Smell the Patriarchy People”! This I tell to myself and those that are blissfully in…
I cut my hair and a lot of women loved it. Despite the love, many women expressed how they couldn’t cut their hair because fathers, husbands, and boyfriends wouldn’t allow it. While I mentioned it’s just hair, the above response made me wonder why some men needed women to have long hair (fake or real).…
Many survivors or victims of sexual violence live their entire lives- post trauma, in pursuit of justice but unfortunately only a small percentage ever get this fulfilled. It is vital to note that getting justice is an important step in their journey to recovery or healing after their ordeal or experience. For most survivors, seeing…
Every fairytale starts with once upon a time, But this princess tale starts with once upon a man. It’s not one of those poetic lies told to gain sympathy, It’s simply the truth, the untold story of Beauty. As he lies there 6ft under He asks me is it to late to say sorry…
A spirited African woman on a journey of discovery across Africa and across the plains of her self knowing. Meet Maskarm Haile and get to know her a bit through HERStory.
Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That’s their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood ~ Gloria Steinem One thing sharing my lived experience as a woman and a feminist gives me is the opportunity to learn that another woman shares my story. That always outweighs opinions of other…
All space is shared. We have to care for others as well as ourselves. But as women, we do more of the former than the latter. However, some cultures and traditions are the exceptions to this rule. Some holidays come around and give young women the chance to shine and breath. Ashenda (also referred to…
