Aljazeera | Nkiru Balonwu
At a leadership event in London this year, the barrister and women’s rights campaigner, Cherie Blair, stood in front of a hundred people, many of them school children, and told them: “Most African ladies’ first sexual experience is rape.”
Such comments, coming from the wife of a former British prime minister, cut much deeper than a mere assault on the effectiveness of the #MeToo movement. They reflect a more troubling and deep-seated psychological infestation, that still exists even within our enlightened global society.
The Africa Report | Nkiru Balonwu
Women make up 50% of Africa’s population and drive 70% of consumer spend.
This demographic represents the continent’s largest growth opportunity, and yet there remains very little data available on female spending habits.
If African businesses are to succeed, and indeed if we are to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the continent at large, we need to build a better understanding of women in 2020.
The New York Times | Lisa Lerer and
WASHINGTON — The first black woman to be elected mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, considers Senator Kamala Harris something of a political soul mate. When Ms. Harris announced her White House bid in Oakland, Calif., in January, Ms. Breed was one of the 20,000 supporters there loudly celebrating, and she endorsed the campaign from the beginning.
But in the days since Ms. Harris dropped out of the race last week, Ms. Breed has been reflecting on the moments that were less
Business Day | Nkiru Balonwu
We recently looked at the pressing need for more female voices in the mainstream of African business. Not solely a cause of gender discrimination, this lack of diversity also limits the perspective and scope of business in an increasingly connected, digitised world. But while gaining recognition is one thing, it’s quite another to encourage forward momentum on a truly level playing field. For that we need male advocates. Men who are, like the women around them, prepared to be partners in bringing about a more diverse and inclusive working environment.
Business Day | Nkiru Balonwu
We recently looked at the pressing need for more female voices in the mainstream of African business. Not solely a cause of gender discrimination, this lack of diversity also limits the perspective and scope of business in an increasingly connected, digitised world. But while gaining recognition is one thing, it’s quite another to encourage forward momentum on a truly level playing field. For that we need male advocates. Men who are, like the women around them, prepared to be partners in bringing about a more diverse and inclusive working environment.
Sahara Reporters | Nkiru Balonwu
Senator Elisha Abbo’s behaviour is deplorable. This is not debatable. The footage that’s been released of him violently beating a woman inside a shop is simultaneously shocking and familiar for many (African) women. It’s obvious that this vicious behaviour must be condemned, now.
We at Africa Women Board join the global voices demanding for Senator Abbo’s immediate removal from office. Period.
Tech Cabal | Nkiru Balonwu
Drawing more young women into STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) remains an important objective. However, particularly with the pace of technological change we find around us, encouraging those already in work into more STEM-based roles is becoming an equally important challenge. This is because the influence of technology across business and wider society is growing. Language and communication skills are as much about how we interact with the technology around us, as we do with one another. All over the world, even when we analyze disciplines that have traditionally been considered to be more social science or arts based – such as law and journalism – vocations are becoming more technical and technology-dependent.
The Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Foundation | Prof. Chioma Agomo
Premium Times NG | Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
Violence against women is a dreadfully brutal and pervasive crime. In many countries, those who are responsible for preventing, eliminating and ensuring accountability for it mostly fail to recognize it as such, tolerate it or simply blame the victims for being violated. On the 31st Anniversary of the International Day of Action on Violence against Women – 25 November – law enforcement and public officers in Nigeria must commit to a programme of action to change this.
