How some African women are bringing back tattoo traditions erased by colonization
This week, we start in Nigeria, where a trans-woman was bullied for attending a women-only event. Then, we travel to Mauritania, where a boat carrying migrants to Europe capsized, killing 89 people. Finally, we stop in Afghanistan, where there are concerns about the absence of women in the ongoing UN-Taliban talks.
But first, in Ghana, on July 17, the Supreme Court is expected to give a verdict on the anti-LGBTQ+ bill. The bill proposes a prison sentence of up to three years for individuals who engage in gay sexual acts and five years for those who promote, sponsor or support LGBTQ+ activities.
To contest this bill, Richard Dela Sky, a lawyer and journalist, filed a suit, seeking for it to be declared unconstitutional.
As many Ghanaians await the final verdict, the proposed legislation is already fuelling more homophobia and violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Activists argue that the bill comes at a particularly bad time, as many queer people already struggle to access medical services.
There are also serious implications beyond the infringement on LGBTQ+ rights. Michael Augustus Akagbor, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, explains that legalizing discrimination against any group can have a snowball effect, leading to broader societal issues. For instance, the bill could affect the media, as journalists might be prosecuted for publishing stories considered to “promote” queer rights.
Unfortunately, regardless of the court’s verdict, many queer people in Ghana do not believe there will be a positive change in their current situation. Instead, they are considering leaving the country to ensure their safety.
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From our site
She was bullied for attending a women-only event as a trans woman. It was not the first time.
Editor’s note: This story was published in collaboration with FairPlanet as part of the Dual Life Project, which showcases how LGBTQIA persons in Africa are often compelled by society to lead dual lives.
At Hertitude, an all-female event organized for women by women, Liber, a 21-year-old trans student, contested a beauty pageant and was met with violent transphobia online when pictures from the event were posted on Twitter (now known as X).
When asked about what that was like, she said of her trolls, “I remember going through the comments confused and wondering who they were saying all those things about.” Reflecting on the incident, she continued, “Like, you don’t even know me. You saw me walk on stage, and you’re projecting all sorts of things.”
Both online and in person, flagrant transphobia is something she is not a stranger to. Liber is not hard to miss. She stands over six foot three inches tall and actively comments online about social issues that concern and affect her. However, beyond all this, Liber agrees that the experience of being trans in Nigeria leaves her exhausted.
Liber grew up in an evangelical Christian household. Once a week, devout families like Liber’s hosted a cell fellowship. These gatherings consisted of praise and worship singing, prayer, and Bible study, and had one or two other church members in attendance.
Why “Omo Igbo” is problematic
It is often said of Nigeria that our diversity unites us, but the recently concluded general elections suggest otherwise.
Ethnic animosity, hate campaigns and religious dichotomy characterized the build-up to the elections. In Lagos, the gubernatorial elections that followed saw targeted violence and disenfranchisement of voters based on ethnicity. Not exactly a picture of a people united in diversity.
Ethnic baiting and weaponization of tribal sentiments during elections in Nigeria are not new. In Lagos, it is normal for Igbos to be scapegoats in every election.
In the build-up to the 2015 gubernatorial elections, a traditional ruler in Lagos was reported to have warned a group of Igbo leaders that if the Igbos do not vote for Akinwunmi Ambode, they will perish in the river within seven days. During the 2019 Lagos gubernatorial elections, a sitting senator reportedly said, “We will invoke all the deities of Lagos to chase Igbo people out. Igbos who refuse to learn our language. Igbos who didn’t marry Yoruba, we will inherit them.”
Around the world
The Conversation
Nigeria’s migration policy: lots of laws but no coherence and poor implementation
Nigeria’s migration policies are extensive on paper. Designed to address both emigration and immigration, they reflect the country’s role as a migration hub in west Africa.
They aim to balance the benefits of migration with the need for security and orderly management of migratory flows in and out of Nigeria. But the policies are often poorly implemented.
The implementation of migration policies in Nigeria has faced longstanding challenges. These include resource constraints, institutional weaknesses, lack of coordination among stakeholders and corruption.
This is mainly due to a reactive rather than proactive approach to migration governance by the government in certain areas. Nigeria’s policies and law combating human trafficking and managing migration were often crafted in response to immediate crises or external pressures rather than as part of a strategic, long-term vision.
DW
Kosovo: Conservative traditions fuel sexual cyberbullying
Ardiana Thaci, a prominent television journalist in Kosovo, had no idea what personal consequences her investigative research could have until she became the target of aggressive cyberbullies following the broadcast of her report on the self-proclaimed “Albkings.”
The name applies to a group of men active on the social media platform Telegram. In the report, Thaci accused the men of posting intimate photos and videos of women without their permission to insult, intimidate and abuse them.
Thaci’s report described the operations of the group, which at times swells to as many as 100,000 members. She explained how the men send one another photos of women they know or have seen online, using the cover of their chat room to distribute, at times, intimate images of their victims.
Those who know the women personally then share their telephone numbers and other personal information. Most of the men in the group — as well as their victims — live in Kosovo and Albania. The photos and videos that they post, however, also show up in neighboring countries.
DW
UN-Taliban talks: Why are Afghan women not invited?
A UN-led meeting with Afghanistan’s Taliban is being held in the Qatari capital Doha, in which representatives from some 25 countries are taking part.
It is the third such meeting, but the first attended by the Islamic fundamentalist group which has ruled the war-torn nation since it seized power as US-led troops withdrew in August 2021.
The UN political chief who is chairing the meeting said it’s not about granting recognition to the Taliban.
“This is not a meeting about recognition. This is not a meeting to lead to recognition… Having engagement doesn’t mean recognition,” UN Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo told reporters. “This isn’t about the Taliban. This is about Afghanistan and the people.”
Achieving sustainable peace, adherence to international law and human rights, as well as counter-narcotics efforts, among other things, are on the agenda of the talks, DiCarlo said.
The Taliban side has said it wants to discuss topics such as restrictions on Afghanistan’s financial and banking system, development of the private sector and countering drug trafficking. But rights groups have denounced the UN for not having Afghan women at the table with the Taliban in Doha.
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Nigerian Women Defy Norms, Embrace Male-Dominated Jobs for Survival
While growing up, Anabel Eugene dreamed of becoming a civil engineer or a military personnel. However, due to economic hardship, things went differently than planned after she graduated from secondary school.
Four years later, she ventured into tiling, which involves covering floors or walls using geometric shapes called tiles.
The 29-year-old woman, who hails from Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State in northeastern Nigeria, told HumAngle that she started the job in 2016 to assist her single mother in caring for her siblings.
For her, the tiling job is a combination of passion and survival.
“Life in Nigeria is hard, and not doing anything makes it even harder. So, as a young girl trying to survive on her own in the hard economy, I had to do something unusual and legal to maintain my dignity and integrity,” she said.
“When I started, I also realised that I was keeping my late father’s legacy because he was a bricklayer before he passed on,” Anabel narrated. “I learnt from a Togolese who selflessly trained me like he was training a man. Later, I frequently searched YouTube and other platforms for videos that could improve my knowledge as new trends and designs come up every day.”