insert_link Africa Steve Biko, the South African liberation struggle hero who considered dishonour worse than death By Jacob Dlamini, Princeton University What happens when death becomes the ultimate marker of one’s commitment to one’s freedom? Jacob Dlamini explores this and other questions in his new book, Dying for Freedom: Political Martyrdom in South Africa. This edited extract, from the chapter Dead and Proud, focuses on Steve Biko’s attitude to martyrdom and to the political uses of death (30). Steve Biko’s death on 12 September […] todaySeptember 10, 2024 6
insert_link Africa Victory for women’s rights in Ghana as affirmative action law is passed – what must happen next By Josephine Jarpa Dawuni, Howard University The passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill by the country’s parliament on 9 August 2024 marked a victory for women’s rights in Ghana. The bill, which has been years in the making, is the result of several actors, allies and activists lobbying and protesting for over a decade. The bill in it its current form makes it compulsory […] todaySeptember 4, 2024 13
insert_link World Ukraine war: Russian soldiers’ wives are increasingly outspoken in their opposition By Jennifer Mathers, Aberystwyth University and Natasha Danilova, University of Aberdeen International Women’s Day is widely celebrated in Russia. But amid the bouquets of flowers and stilted speeches of congratulation made by Vladimir Putin, the state-controlled media will be doing its best to ignore one group of Russia’s women. These are the wives of some of its soldiers fighting in Ukraine, who have embarked on a series […] todayMarch 8, 2024 24
insert_link World Navalny dies in prison − but his blueprint for anti-Putin activism will live on The legacy of Alexei Navalny lives on. Ian Langsdon/AFP via Getty Images Regina Smyth, Indiana University Long lines of Russians endured subzero temperatures in January 2024 to demand that anti-Ukraine war candidate Boris Nadezhdin be allowed to run in the forthcoming presidential election. It was protest by petition – a tactic that reflects the legacy of Alexei Navalny, the longtime Russian pro-democracy campaigner. Authorities say Navalny, a persistent thorn in […] todayFebruary 19, 2024 12
