In Burkina Faso, being transgender means living in the shadows
Amidst roars of laughter, Naomi takes out her phone and shows us photos of herself, having fun with a friend, posing for the camera, both […]
International
Egypt is using the Africa Cup of Nations as an opportunity to test surveillance technologies on politically conscious fans
On 27 June, Alaa Mubarak, son of the former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, revealed on his Twitter account that the organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations […]
In Albania, call centre workers are organising for better working conditions
In one of the few old houses still standing in central Tirana, a small courtyard covered with colourful posters of social struggles from around the […]
Zambian teens can’t talk about sex or contraception, even with their friends
Becoming pregnant constitutes a threat to young girls’ health. That’s because they have a higher risk of maternal complications than adult women. In fact, these complications were […]
The faces behind the oil America went to war for
Despite the geopolitical importance of Iraq’s oil, and the central role that oil played in its invasion by a US-led coalition in March 2003, 16 […]
African countries and the state of their environments: the best and the worst
Social and economic changes in Africa are being driven by increasing prosperity and heavy foreign investment. Money has been poured into activities such as road building, forestry […]
“Challenging power isn’t polite and beautiful”: Dr Stella Nyanzi and the right to impolite in Uganda
To mark her 45th birthday on 16 June 2019, Ugandan academic and activist Dr Stella Nyanzi released 45 poems from the Luzira Maximum Security Prison, […]
The rise of the ‘disobedient mother’: towards a feminist vision of motherhood
“97% devoted. 3% self-centred. 0 complaints. 100% mother”. This slogan – chosen by a major department store chain for its latest Mother’s Day advertising campaign […]
The slow but unstoppable social transformation of Iran and Saudi Arabia
“I studied English literature and work as a freelance translator. I’m single and I live away from my parents’ home with another girl in a […]
Why ‘pro-poor’ policies on their own won’t shift inequality in South Africa
Sociologist Goran Therborn has probably influenced the study of inequality more than any other scholar in recent years. Invited to locate inequality in South Africa in a […]
Two years on, Grenfell survivors are still waiting for justice
When flames engulfed the Grenfell Tower in west London in the early hours of 14 June 2017, and voices screamed out in terror, few could […]
France is hosting the Women’s World Cup, organised by international football federation FIFA and the French Football Federation (FFF). The two federations have been talking for […]
en