Guinea’s Girl Leaders Raise Awareness About Menstrual Hygiene
“Menstrual hygiene is a taboo in our country, no one wishes to address it publicly for fear of being criticised or even rejected because of the social constraints in our country,” says Kadiatou, one of the members of the Guinea Girl Leaders Club which is supported by Plan International. Menstrual hygiene concerns the dignity and […]
Girls Caught in the Crossfire: Fear and Violence in Cameroon
“One morning, my mother sent me to buy rice from one of the few shops in the village that were still open. I walked to the store along the narrow paths, which had become empty and lonely. When I entered the store, the shopkeeper dragged me to the back and forced himself on me. This […]
Adolescent Girls in Cameroon on Conflict & Covid-19
GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN CAMEROON ARE DEALING WITH A DOUBLE THREAT OF CONFLICT AND COVID-19, WHICH RISKS THEIR SECURITY, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH. PLAN INTERNATIONAL SPOKE TO ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN THE REGION ABOUT THEIR LIVES, EXPERIENCES & ASPIRATIONS. North-West and South West (NWSW) Cameroon has been in conflict since September 2017, when tensions between Anglophone […]
The FGM Cutters Abandoning the Practice in Guinea
THE 6TH OF FEBRUARY IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FGM. IN THE WEST AFRICAN NATION OF GUINEA, FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) IS A ‘NORMAL’ AND WIDESPREAD PRACTICE – 96% OF WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS HAVE BEEN CUT. Until recently, Kadiatou and Aissatou earned their living as traditional cutters, however since Plan International […]
Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Girls in Guinea
Fatoumata, 20, is a young activist who is working to promote and protect the rights of girls in her community. As president of her local girls’ club, Fatoumata uses her leadership and influencing skills to campaign against all forms of gender-based violence. “The girls’ club was set up in 2018 and since then, we have […]
Disability Inclusion in GBV Programming
It is estimated that 1 billion people around the world live with a disability, with approximately 80% of those with disabilities living in developing countries, according to the UN Development Programme. For people living in development and humanitarian contexts, poverty, natural disasters, conflict, and limited access to healthcare are some of the factors which can cause or exacerbate disabilities. Across the […]
Engaging youth in the Lake Chad Basin
Kaleri youth group has over 700 members and 12 officers and is working with Plan International on a programme working on youth engagement and social cohesion. Lydia has been with the youth group for three years.
World Children’s Day 2020
As yesterday marked World Children’s Day, I want to take the opportunity to highlight the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on children across the world and the threat it poses to any gains made in recent years on children’s rights and equality for girls. As restrictions came into force around the world this […]
Keeping Girls Safe During COVID-19
Millions at risk as sexual abuse, unintended pregnancies, and child marriages spike under lockdown. A silent and lethal ‘shadow pandemic’ is currently unfolding across the globe as millions of girls are witnessing the erosion of their sexual and reproductive health and rights under lockdown. A sharp increase in potentially deadly unintended pregnancies, child marriages, sexual […]
Periods Don’t Stop During a Pandemic
Periods don’t stop during a pandemic, and for millions of women and girls the challenge to privately and safely manage menstruation was already an issue. On any single day during this health emergency, 800 million people are menstruating and many are now grappling with the unique challenges of doing so in a global pandemic. On […]
