Are Digital Platforms the Silver Bullet to SRHR Information Access for Youth?
“There was a time I needed to learn how the female condom works because when you first see it, it is weird. It is large, shapeless and you wonder how exactly it functions and because the matter was private to me, I went to YouTube for videos. Most videos had sound and because I have […]
Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Uganda; An old social disease treated with the wrong medicine
Once again, Uganda found itself on the less exciting side of news, following the release of a documentary on the rising cases of child sexual abuse and incest in Northern Uganda by BBC Africa. The documentary revealed that the increase in sexual violence perpetrated by men against young girls is responsible for 23 % of […]
AWLI alumni in political service reconnect to envision the next level feminist leadership
Since 1997, over 8000 women have gone through the African Women’s Leadership Institute(AWLI), going on to carry forward the feminist agenda into decision making spaces to bring about transformative change. On the 21st of April, Ugandan AWLI alumni in political leadership positions from different cohorts of the AWLI met for a high level breakfast meeting […]
HEALING IS OUR INHERITANCE
Any activist will tell you that working on issues pertaining to violence against women and girls (VAWG) means being in a constant state of emotional pain, rage and stress. With 1 in 3 women being subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, VAWG is one of the most widespread, persistent and […]
Africa Needs A Socially Just Approach To Energy Transition
As Global leaders convened in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27) summit discuss the energy transition this week, African feminists, climate justice advocates, and civil society are demanding[1] socially just and inclusive approach to energy transition. Central to negotiations on this agenda is the reduction of carbon emissions […]
Young feminists Demand Just Climate Actions In The Horn, East and Central Africa Ahead of COP27.
Every other month a disaster of apocalyptic magnitude rocks a corner of our world. When it is not relentless rains burying communities under water, it is a long, drawn-out famine that leaves a trail of shriveling bodies, young and old. There was a time when the climate crisis was spoken of as a distant future […]
Flying The Banner Of Intersectional Feminist SRHR Advocacy In Zambia
Zambia is a land of beauty adorned with vast woodlands rich with majestic baobab trees. As far as the eye can see, wild, undulating landscapes adorned by rivers finish in glorious falls. From its landscape to its 70 ethnic groups that have staved off war for decades, Zambia sets the perfect stage for the conversation on […]
Re-envisioning SRHR Advocacy In Kenya With An Intersectional Feminist Context
Globally, women, girls, and gender-expansive persons demand a better healthcare system from their governments and policymakers. In East Africa, there has been a massive campaign for the passage of the East Africa Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill #EACSRHBill by feminists, civil society organizations, and young people. Ultimately, the Bill is positioned to improve women, […]
Pathways to scaling up women’s political leadership and influence in Uganda – Adopting Feminist Approaches
The aspiration to advance women’s political participation and leadership in all decision-making processes in Uganda, regionally and globally, is rooted in numerous national, regional, and international frameworks. But unfortunately, women politicians face systemic barriers that disproportionately affect their political participation and leadership. Pathways to scaling up women’s political leadership and influence in Uganda – adopting […]
Akina Mama wa Afrika Launches A Feminist Intersectional Climate Justice Guide!
The Intersectional Feminist Climate Action Guide is an advocacy and programming tool for civil society, women, feminists, environmentalists, and minoritized groups who take on a central role as creators, facilitators and advocates of innovative climate solutions through an inclusive and rights-based approach. It provides a framework for how these groups of people can integrate intersectional […]
A New Set Of AMwAzons Is Ready To Transform Power Relations For Just Climate Action
As the climate clock continues to tick ominously in our ears, announcing a developing crisis that calls for our urgent response, we, Africans on the continent, sit and contemplate an even more solemn fact in our lap. This fact is that in rooms where decisions are made and strategic policies to address the crisis are […]
Politics Unusual – Women Groups in Kenya Dialogue Towards a Women’s Economic Recovery Manifesto for Women in Kenya, 2022-2027.
As the Republic of Kenya gets ready for the 3rd election under the 2010 Constitution, the 6th multiparty election since 1992, the 11th election since the first one-party election since independence in 1969, and the 13th election since independence with the first elections held in 1961, feminists and women’s rights activists in Kenya are leveraging […]
Make Way Programme Launches In Ethiopia
Everybody, including those who are most marginalized, should be able to realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are human rights, that allow people to make informed decisions about relationships, their bodies, family planning, sexuality, and wellbeing. It also means having access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services, […]
Changing The Narratives On SRHR In Uganda Through AWLI
There are few fields shrouded in controversy like the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR). This controversy can be traced to the fact that there is a lack of sufficient information as well as the existence of shame and secrecy around sexuality and reproduction. This combination of factors that have been around for a […]
After AWLI, My Political Dreams No Longer Scare Me!
“It is not in my nature to take the backseat and watch life drift by. AWLI was a mind-transforming experience that validated who I am. I learned so much about Transformational leadership and the principles of feminist Leadership and advocacy and I have carried that knowledge with me every day.” Ayikoru Patience Poni is a […]
THEY PROTEST FOR ALL OF US
After being charged with convening an illegal assembly and instigating violence, the Uganda Police detained six opposition women leaders in Luzira Prison until Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The accused leaders and activists are members of the second-largest opposition group, the Forum for Democratic Change. They are; Doreen Nyanjura (Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor), Hon Adeke Anna […]
The African Women’s Leadership Institute has strengthened my advocacy skills in Sexual Reproductive Health Rights
My name is Tumuhaise Phionah and attending the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) African Women Leadership Institute (AWLI) from March to April 2021 has done great for my life. The SRHR AWLI launched me into a scholarship opportunity to study for my Master’s at the School of Women and Gender studies at Makerere […]
In A Triple Crisis, What Is Labor Day Without A Call For Social Protection?
Marginalized populations in Africa are facing a myriad of crises, that is, the debt crisis, the climate crisis and the health crisis caused by COVID 19. Across the continent, these crises have exacerbated gender inequalities, eroding hard-fought-for gains and achievements in the struggle for women’s empowerment. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the unpayable debt burdens […]
AMwA Urge For Feminist Economics Alternatives For Women, Girls And Gender-Expansive Persons
As the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Spring Meetings happened from 18-24 April 2022, war, pandemics, rapid increase in inflation, debt crisis, and disrupted supply chains took center stage in the discussions. The global economic growth is slow and multiple shocks are threatening to worsen poverty and impede development gains. More than ever before, […]
EARTH DAY STATEMENT
At a time when climate justice, gender justice, and climate financing discourse in Africa is expanding but has suppressed the voices of African women and gender-expansive persons, AMwA as a feminist pan-African regional organization, strives to amplify their art and work and provide them with the tools and platforms to tell their own stories. By […]