A young activist in Malawi campaigns to keep girls out of marriage and in school
At 21, Jenipher Sanni has already lived two lives: as a wife, and now again as a student. Now, she mentors other girls.
Delivering into chaos: Gunfire, arson and childbirth in rural Kenya
Under armed attack, Lena Towai fled into the wilderness and gave birth in the dark – assisted only by a neighbour with a gunshot wound.
From midwife to MP - Advancing the rights of women in the Comoros
A midwife has become the only female Member of Parliament in the Comoros. She brings the fight for gender equality with her.
Courageous girls change attitudes about FGM in Ethiopia
Genet Girma, 31, was a trailblazer in her community. Fifteen years ago, she ran away from home when she learned that her mother planned to have her undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). As in many other communities in Ethiopia, FGM is deep-rooted in the Kembatta community, which Ms. Genet belongs to. The practice can cause lasting harm, including pain, infection, haemorrhage and complications in childbirth. It can even be fatal.
Displaced by crisis, South Sudan midwifery students focus on saving mothers
Nyomon Lilian will never forget the day she decided to become a midwife. A few years ago, in her hometown of Kajo Keji, in South Sudan’s Equatoria region, she watched as her neighbour bled out after giving birth.