Author: Vanessa Onyema

Nigerian women have big dreams and are working hard to improve their lives and communities, but they need more than just good wishes to succeed. An extensive survey of 100,000 women aged 15-55 in Nigeria conducted by the Gates Foundation shows that these women are ambitious and driven, but they face many roadblocks that keep…

As we continue to highlight the continuous incidence of femicide in Nigeria, the month of March witnessed yet another devastating toll of femicide in the country, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive action to address the root causes of gender-based violence. This report sheds light on the lives lost and the systemic failures perpetuating this…

The month of February is often regarded as the month of love but the continous incidence of femicide show that violence against women does not take a holiday. How can we reconcile this with the continued tragedy of gender-based violence as the reality of femicide continues to claim lives, a brutal counterpoint to what this…

An obstetric fistula (OF) is an “abnormal opening between a woman’s vagina and bladder and/or rectum through which urine (vesico-vaginal fistula) and/or faeces (recto-vaginal fistula) continually leak”. An obstetric fistula can also occur between the urethra and the vagina (urethrovaginal fistula), between the ureter and the vagina (ureterovaginal fistula) and rarely,  between the bladder and…

While the new year provides a sense of renewal, the harsh reality of femicide remains, casting an unsettling shadow over the festivities. Even in the early days of January, news of women’s lives being ruthlessly cut short emerged, emphasizing the critical need to address this widespread problem. How can we reconcile the promise of a…

In 2024, Haiti faced a major humanitarian crisis, marked by growing gang violence, widespread population displacement, and climate crises. Over one million people, primarily women and children, were displaced and sought safety in congested displacement sites. These situations worsen women and girls’ vulnerabilities, making them even more vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) and threats to…

Just as the word explains itself, femicide is the killing of women and girls based on their sex and gender and this has continuously plagued communities all over the world. Women and girls are targeted because of gender inequality and marginalisation by their own families, partners and strangers and we are left to wonder if…

According to new UN data, the home, once a safe haven for women, has become one of the most dangerous places for them. In 2023, men intentionally killed 85,000 women and girls, with intimate relationships or family members responsible for 60% of these fatalities. This corresponds to roughly 140 women and girls dying every day.…

Every day in Nigeria, dozens of children are born with HIV—despite it being preventable. This highlights the ongoing burden of HIV/AIDS on women and children in the country since its first case was reported in 1985. In 2015, UNICEF estimated that three million people were living with HIV in Nigeria, including 190,950 new infections. This…