I can clearly remember my first overseas visit as a DFID minister. It was just under 2 years ago, in October 2012. I was struck by the optimism and hope that filled the air of this new and ambitious country. …
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights abuses in the world. In the last few weeks alone there have been numerous high-profile reports of incidents where women have suffered because of their gender. World …
I'm in Rwanda for a 3 day visit and on arrival in Kigali yesterday morning, I went straight to the genocide memorial at Ntarama Church to lay a commemorative wreath for the Rwandans who lost their lives in 1994. Only …
It always strikes me on my visits to Africa how imaginatively people use their mobile phones. Mobiles are not just for calls, texts or browsing the internet. Instead they are used to transfer money, like I saw on my last …
I wanted to take the opportunity of V-Day, a day on which girls and women around the world will rise up to challenge the violence perpetrated on them, to update you on my priorities as Ministerial Champion for the elimination …
What do you get when you combine a vibrant First Lady, a country in which most women have undergone female genital mutilation and many are facing health problems and complications in pregnancy, and funding from donor countries to support a …
Today I am in Ziniaré, a village that has abandoned female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). While 76% of girls and women from 15 to 49 years old in Burkina Faso have undergone the practice, only 9% of Burkinabés, men …
English may be the official language here in Sierra Leone, but the majority communicate every day in Krio, a mash of English, Portuguese and French with an African grammar. Because there are some English words peppered around in there, you …
To enter Freetown from its airport, boating across the river is your best option. The view of Freetown as the sun sets over the water is breathtaking, but one sadly seldom enjoyed by many from outside the country. Certainly from …
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