Author: Vanessa Onyema

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…

The resurgence of the Taliban in 2021 has severely restricted the lives of women since their return. Girls are confined to their families and deprived of their prospects because secondary school is prohibited for them. Due to their inability to work in most fields, women are socially and economically oppressed. Women must now cover themselves…

Just as the word explains itself, femicide is the killing of women for reasons other than their gender and is a widespread problem that plagues communities all over the world. These women are mostly targeted by their own families, partners and strangers and we are left to wonder if women will one day see a…