HUMAN RIGHTS - The African Mirror

Sep

27

2023

Disabled Nigerians battle when using – they share their experiences

HUMAN RIGHTS

PEOPLE with disabilities often face difficulties when accessing transport services. Inadequate and unsuitable options restrict their mobility, independence and ability to navigate their communities. This limits their opportunities for employment, education, healthcare and social engagement. These individuals can also be very vocal about their experiences – sharing comments online that can shape the branding and marketing of a city. EMMANUEL MOGAJI, Associate Professor in Marketing, Keele University As an academic researcher with a focus on transport, education and financial services, I teach the marketing and advertising of these services. To do so, one must first understand the state of a…

Jul

08

2023

By The African Mirror

‘Alarming’ rise in rape and abduction from Sudan war, aid agencies say

HUMAN RIGHTS

THE conflict between military factions in Sudan has caused a surge in cases of rape and the abduction of women and girls, some as young as 12, aid agencies and officials said. Teenage girls are being sexually assaulted and raped by armed combatants in "alarming numbers", Save the Children said in a statement on Friday, while the United Nations reported a "marked increase" in gender-based violence. The war that erupted on April 15 pits Sudan's army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who fell out over plans for a political transition towards civilian rule. Fighting has been concentrated in…

Sep

09

2022

By The African Mirror

Modern slavery: how a drama project in Ghana educates communities through the stories of survivors

HUMAN RIGHTS

AN estimated 40.3 million people around the world are trapped in slavery. One in four victims are children, with women and girls affected most. Modern slavery occurs when people are forced to work through violence and intimidation. According to the most recent figures from the Global Slavery Index, there are 133,000 people living in slavery in Ghana. Our ongoing research seeks to tackle the issue by using performance to bridge the gap between survivors and people at risk of becoming victims by developing a conversation about 21st-century slavery. How the Ghanaian government responds to this issue affects the amount of…

Aug

18

2022

By The African Mirror

Tigray war ignored because of racism: WHO boss

HUMAN RIGHTS

THE World Health Organization's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has suggested that racism is behind a lack of international attention being paid to the plight of civilians in Ethiopia's war-shattered Tigray region. Calling it the "worst humanitarian crisis in the world", with 6 million people unable to access basic services, Tedros questioned in an emotional appeal why the situation is not getting the same attention as the Ukraine conflict. "Maybe the reason is the colour of the skin of the people," Tedros, who is from Tigray, told a virtual media briefing on Wednesday. In April this year at a briefing, he…

May

16

2022

By The African Mirror

Ghana’s human trafficking scourge

HUMAN RIGHTS

JAMILA AKWELEY OKERTCHIRI “It feels like yesterday when I was deceived by one man who claimed to be a travelling agent. He promised me a work opportunity and a good salary,” says 25-year-old Cissy, as she prefers to be called. “As a young lady coming from an average family who really needed help, I fell for his lies.” Cissy says although she was a bit sceptical about the offer and afraid of her destination country, the so-called travel agent convinced her that she had nothing to worry about. “He said I had a host mom who would receive me at…

Apr

16

2022

By The African Mirror

Xenophobia is on the rise in South Africa: scholars weigh in on the migrant question

HUMAN RIGHTS

INTERNATIONAL migration in South Africa, particularly as it relates to the labour market, is a highly contentious topic. We, the undersigned migration scholars, want to share relevant information about this important topic. Our work shows that international migrants make up only a small percentage of the South African population, and that the overall effect of international immigration on the labour market is not detrimental. Preliminary data analysis from the 2021 round of the South African Social Attitudes Survey by the Human Sciences Research Council finds that most South Africans see foreign nationals as a threat. Many believe they are a…

May

20

2020

By The African Mirror

City demolitions expose Ethiopian families to coronavirus

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights groups want a moratorium on demolitions and forced evictions of informal settlements under COVID-19 By Nita Bhalla and Emeline Wuilbercq NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA - Scores of Ethiopian families are at risk of contracting the new coronavirus after authorities demolished their makeshift houses and left them homeless, according to human rights groups. Authorities in the capital began destroying the informal settlements near Bole International Airport in February. They say the settlement in Addis Ababa, home to more than 1,000 people, is illegal. Residents - mostly casual labourers who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 restrictions - say they bought…

May

20

2020

By The African Mirror

Mandela’s granddaughter Ndileka uses social media during lockdown to help abused women

HUMAN RIGHTS

KIM HARRISBERG NDILEKA Mandela was at her home in Johannesburg, South Africa, just before the start of a national lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus, when she got the call. A container filled with 10,000 sanitary pads for rural South African girls would not be able to leave Geneva due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a donor told her. "My heart was so sore. These girls are stuck at home, there is no income to buy food let alone sanitary pads. Their dignity and their health are at stake," she said in a phone interview. Ndileka, 55, Nelson Mandela's…

May

20

2020

By The African Mirror

Forced evictions leave 5,000 Kenyan slum dwellers at risk of coronavirus

HUMAN RIGHTS

By Nita Bhalla NAIROBI - Thousands of Kenyans in Nairobi are at risk of contracting the new coronavirus after authorities demolished their houses in the midst of the pandemic, human rights activists have said. Authorities ordered bulldozers into the Kariobangi informal settlement in northeast Nairobi recently, demolishing some 600 homes and forcefully evicting at least 5,000 people - including many single mothers and children, said campaigners. The state-run Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NSWSC) claims ownership of the land which it says has been illegally occupied since 2008. Evicted residents say they bought the land from the city council…

May

20

2020

By The African Mirror

Court allows lawyers to see LGBT+ Ugandans jailed over coronavirus

HUMAN RIGHTS

By Alice McCool KAMPALA - A Ugandan court has granted lawyers access to 19 LGBT+ people detained for more than six weeks with no legal help after they were charged with risking the spread of the coronavirus. The 13 gay men, two bisexual men and four transgender women were arrested on March 29 when police raided an LGBT+ shelter on the outskirts of the capital Kampala following a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people to control the virus. Human rights groups have said authorities are using the restrictions to target sexual minorities in the east African nation, where…