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Veronica has been speaking out since she was a child. As a secondary student, she noticed a gap between what women were doing in their communities and what was reported in the media. To address this, she did research in her community, wrote up her findings in a school newspaper—and pinned her work to the walls for the other students to read.

Veronica went on to become a pioneering journalist, radio broadcaster and producer.

As a producer, Veronica created educational programs on family planning, reproductive health, childcare and other topics of importance to women. More recently, she founded theAssociation of Media Women in South Sudan and established her own radio station.

Her work is critically important in this newly independent country. South Sudan sank into civil war last December, less than three years after gaining independence.

In South Sudan, men own most private media companies and the majority of reporters are men. Most female journalists work for state-owned media companies where men also have more decision-making power, and where political bodies censor the content. As a result, there is very little space for women’s voices in South Sudanese media.

Veronica’s organization aims to add more balance to the news by increasing the visibility of women’s issues and offering support and training to female journalists. Veronica’s radio station also gives women in rural areas the opportunity to learn about government policies and services, and to express their views on local and national issues.

It is very important to have women in media and women as civil society,” says Veronica. “I had to take the initiative of establishing an association for media women in South Sudan so that we fill the gap of having balanced information and to advocate for the rights of women through and in media.”

WATCH Veronica Lucy Gordon speak about the importance of women in media

Credit: Noble Women’s Initiative

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Chad is among the poorest nations in the world, and it is “already struggling with poverty and frequent conflict”. Making a reference to the Multidimensional Poverty Index, most of the population in Chad rely on subsistence farming.

Speaking with WEF, Hindou Ibrahim pointed out the size of the Lake Chad had depleted, compared to the size it was when she was a child which spanned about 10,000 km square. This is as a result of climate change, the rising population, and the most prominent occupation in Chad, agriculture.

Hindou Ibrahim, who is from the Mbororo pastoralist community, and an expert in how indigenous peoples and particularly women adapt to climate change, wants to highlight the impact a warming planet is having on communities across Africa.

During the WEF Sustainable Development Impact Summit in 2019, she shared that, “Climate change is real, and it’s not about our future. It’s about our present. It’s the issue of survival. It’s not the issue of economy or power, it’s the issue of life of hundreds of millions of people that depend on it. We need solutions, we don’t have time. It’s now time for action and immediate action for those peoples who are getting impacted who didn’t create this climate change.”

Watch the video below.

World Economic Forum

change.”

Watch the video below.

World Economic Forum

@wef

40 million people depend on a lake that has 90% vanished.

📕 Read more: https://wef.ch/2qWicCp 

Embedded video

Source Bellanaija

Young people have always been at the center of major civil rights movements. From fighting for a seat at the table in conversations about gun control to pointing out racism and homophobia through art, here are five young black activists who deserve a round of applause for their activism.

Mari Copeny, 11 Among the crowd of young activists holding politicians accountable is 11-year-old Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint. Since penning a letter to former president Barack Obama to draw his attention to the Flint water crisis, she has continued to use her voice to bring awareness to the families in her community who have been affected.

She’s vocal on social media, tweeting at politicians when she disagrees with them, including the president, and making sure people are still talking about the Flint water crisis and its long-lasting effects on residents. Additionally, Mari worked with nonprofit Pack Your Back to distribute more than 10,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students throughout Flint.

Naomi Wadler, 12 When Naomi Wadler stepped onto the stage at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., last year, she gave a voice to young black women who have died from gun violence, including Courtlin Arrington, Hadiya Pendleton, and Taiyania Thompson, who “don’t make the front page of every national newspaper.” She captured the ears and hearts of many who were itching for intersectionality in gun-reform discussions.

Naomi, who was featured in Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 last year, recently told Smithsonian that she’d like to run The New York Times someday.

Marley Dias, 14 Frustrated by the lack of representation in children’s books, Marley Dias decided to take action. In addition to calling out this problem in literature, the 14-year-old launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive, started her own zine for elle.com, and wrote her own book, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!

Kenidra Woods, 18 As an activist for gun reform, Kenidra Woodsfounded the Hope for Humanity Project in response to the gun violence in her community. Kenidra, who appeared on Teen Vogue’s gun control cover, in 2018, is one of several black teens who have fought for black voices to be elevated in the conversation for gun control after the 2018 school shooting in Parkland.

Additionally, Kenidra has been outspoken about her struggle with mental health. The teen, who says she was sexually abused as a young child, started the CHEETAH (confidence, harmony, enlightenment, encouragement, tranquility, awareness, and hope) Movementto help others who have suffered from self-harm and suicidal ideations.

Fatima Jamal, 28Disgusted by the phrase “no fats, no femmes” in LGBTQ+ dating profiles, Fatima Jamal decided to use her voice to speak out. Fatima recently spoke with them. about the difficulty she faced securing funding for a film that explores this topic. The black, trans, independent filmmaker is passionate about fighting the “gay community’s inescapable legacy of white supremacy, and its idealization of certain types of bodies, manners of acting and more,” according to the profile.

 

Credit: Teen Vogue

Author Maryam Awaisu, one of the activists leading the #ArewaMeToo movement has regained freedom.

People from the Northern part of Nigeria have taken to Twitter in the last few days to share sad stories of abuse from close friends, partners and relatives.

Awaisu, according to Amnesty International, was arrested in her office on Tuesday by SARS officers.

She has finally regained freedom, according to Amnesty International, as well as some social media users who were at the station with her.

Amnesty Int. Nigeria

@AmnestyNigeria

Maryam Awaisu @Ice131Queen has been released. Though she is free now, her arrest and detention was aimed at intimidating women rights activists pursuing justice for victims of sexual violence.

1,199 people are talking about this
463 people are talking about this

Moroco@ibrahimu14

Finally she’s out and she’s on her way home 🙏🙏

Aisha Yesufu@AishaYesufu

Maryam Awaisu is still not freed. She is in there at SARS Office. Her phone is off! @ibrahimu14 and some other great Nigerians are waiting outside where she is. Hopefully they would release her today#IAmMaryam#WeAllAreMaryam#FreeMaryamAwaisu#ArewaMeToo

57 people are talking about this
Credit: Bella Naija
26-year-old Hauwa Ojeifo has won in the first edition of MTV Europe Music Awards’ ‘Generation Change’ category.

The award ceremony is currently going on at the Bilbao Exhibition Center, in Bilbao, Spain.

Miss Ojeifo who was selected among four others was however missed on the red carpet, as she could not secure a Schengen Visa from the Spanish embassy in Nigeria to embark on the trip.

Her award category was presented during the MTV EMA red carpet pre-show.

The award aims to elevate and empower the fearless, original young people who are changing the world.

Ojeifo was selected alongside a 21-year old Afghanistan, Sonita Alizadeh; 17 year old Lebanese, Mohamad Aljounde; 20 year old Briton, Ellen Jones and an 18 year old Xiuhtezcatl “X” Martinez.

 

 

Credit: thenationonline

 

Prominent Ethiopian human rights lawyer Meaza Ashenafi has been elected as the first woman to head the country’s federal supreme court.

According to BBC, her name was put forward by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and MPs unanimously approved the appointment.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/snapshot-photography/ullstein bild

 

Credit:Bella Naija

Hauwa Ojeifo of SheWrites Woman, has been nominated for the MTV EMA Generation Change Award.

The award, which is being given out for the first time, recognizes inspiring, young changemakers of the world.”

The EMA described Hauwa as a “change-maker who founded a movement of love, hope and support to give mental health a voice in Nigeria.”

MTV EMA

@mtvema

Want to vote for Hauwa to win the MTV EMA Generation Change Award? RT this post or tweet your own with + to vote!
Learn more ➡️ http://fal.cn/S6UF 

Others nominated for the award include climate activist Xiuhtezcatl “X” Martinez, the rapper who uses her voice to fight child marriage Sonita Alizadeh, 17-year-old Syrian refugee Mohamed Al Jounde, and 20-year-old LGBTQ+ and mental health activist Ellen Jones. 

You can vote for Hauwa by retweeting the EMA tweet.

 

Source: Bella Naija

When Hadiza Dairet Kasimu was writing her exams in her final year of primary school, she mysteriously fell ill and by the end of that week, she had lost her ability to hear.
Losing her hearing halted Hadiza’s life in a very big way: she dropped out of school and for six years was at home, doing nothing. Thanks to the support of her family, she eventually returned to school and was able to graduate from the university.
Today, Hadiza is an advocate for Nigerians with disabilities – specifically women and girls – fighting for their rights to a fair and inclusive society.

Speaking at the Mandela Washington Fellowship about what inspired her to become an activist, Hadiza said:
“Many people believe that if you have a disability, you have no future. People with disabilites are not given equal opportunities especially in Africa and that needs to change.”
She is currently the state chairperson of the Deaf Women’s Association of Nigeria; the state coordinator of the Voice of Disabilities Initiative; and the women’s coordinator for the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Nasarawa.
She also counsels women and girls in her local community on everything from gender equality to financial independence; as well as encouraging Nigerians with disabilities to participate in politics, so they can have their voices heard.

Source: Konbini