Q&A: Elections "Will Indicate Maturity in the Democratic Process"

Just hours remain before polling stations are scheduled to open in Sierra Leone for general elections that will see seven parties vie for the presidency, and control of the West African nation's parliament.

POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Women As An Antidote to Corruption?

Sierra Leone will hold general elections Saturday with a number of significant achievements in hand, not least maintaining peace for five years.

KENYA: More Women in Parliament, Hopefully – By Way of the Constitution

Kenya's parliament will soon debate a constitutional amendment bill to improve female representation in the legislature by creating 50 special seats for women. At present, only some eight percent of parliamentary posts in the East African country are occupied by women.

SIERRA LEONE: A Women&#39s Issue That Women Are Wary of Campaigning About

Female genital mutilation (FGM) can make sex painful, complicate childbirth, lead to urinary tract infections, enable the transmission of HIV - and induce a host of other ills. So, promising to fight this practice should be a winning strategy for someone hoping to be elected to parliament this Saturday in Sierra Leone - where about 90 percent of girls and women undergo FGM, according to rights watchdog Amnesty International.

Q&A: "In Sierra Leone They Just Cut You, And There&#39s Not Much Problem With That"

Certain comments resonate long after they are made, and Shirley Yeama Gbujama's reported threat to "sew up the mouths of those preaching against Bondo" is certainly one of them.

POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Making a Voting Right a Voting Reality

Having the right to vote is one thing; using it properly, or indeed at all, is quite another, as Sierra Leone has shown ahead of general elections this Saturday.

POLITICS-MALI: Bracing for “Zero to Six” in Parliamentary Elections

A fear has been voiced that the number of women in Mali's parliament could be more than halved during legislative elections that wrapped up Sunday.

SIERRA LEONE: Caught Between Leaving the Kitchen and Putting Food on the Table

When Iyesha Josiah told people last year that after the August 2007 general elections, she would stand before them as a new member of parliament for Sierra Leone, they thought she was joking.

AFRICA: “If You Want More Development, Include Women in Decision-making”

The '8th Triennial Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting' (8WAMM) has closed with an acknowledgement that gender equality is central to democracy, peace and economic growth; ministers also called for greater efforts to achieve parity between men and women.

HEALTH: Commonwealth Event Debates Why AIDS Wears “the Face of a Woman”

The issue of women continuing to be at higher risk of HIV infection than men has received considerable attention at a gathering of women's affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries underway in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

Q&A: “It Was Thuggery. State Thuggery”

There has been widespread anger at the police beating earlier this month of Law Society of Zimbabwe President Beatrice Mtetwa and three other lawyers: Terence Fitzpatrick, Colin Kuhini and Chris Mhike.

POLITICS-AFRICA: Democracy Takes Root in Some Countries, Falters in Others

The progress of democracy in Africa has come under discussion this week at a conference in the South African commercial hub of Johannesburg.

SOUTH AFRICA: How Discarded Bottles Led to the ‘DNA Project’

DNA profiling has rapidly proved an indispensable tool in fighting crime. The process offers a host of benefits, such as quick identification of criminals, and of innocent suspects - as well as solid evidence for presentation in court.

KENYA: Going Beyond “Cheerleading, Singing and Dancing For Candidates”

With general elections scheduled to take place in Kenya this December, activists in the East African country are looking to constitutional reform to ensure that more women fill decision-making posts in government.

HUMAN RIGHTS-MALAWI: Violence Threatens Women’s Meagre Gains

Chanju Mwale is a true role model. Not only does the 28-year-old possess good academic credentials as a lawyer, landing her the job of the Malawi Defence Force’s legal officer, but she is also the only female officer in the force who holds the rank of captain.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Cynicism and Hope Ahead of the Bamako Gathering

With just a day to go before Africa's first-ever World Social Forum (WSF) gets underway in Mali, attitudes towards the meeting appear somewhat mixed in the West African country.

CHALLENGES 2005-2006: Where Are Malawi’s Women Legislators Now?

More than a year ago, IPS profiled several of the women who had won seats in Malawi's parliament, something that enabled them to break new ground in the drive to make the legislature less of male-dominated forum.

CULTURE-SOUTH AFRICA: Seeing, Rather Than Seen

Black women in South Africa are no strangers to photography. In years gone by, however, they have typically found themselves in front of the lens - often portrayed as "'mother of the nation', 'black sex object' or 'poor, black victim without agency'," in the words of gender activist Janine Moolman.

EDUCATION-SOUTH AFRICA: The Past Isn’t History Yet

Clever student, top grades, demanding university course...For anyone in this position, using a cheque book or managing medical insurance should be a cinch, right?

ECONOMY-SOUTH AFRICA: In Search of Afro-Gucci

The names alone are evocative - Stoned Cherrie, Black Coffee, Sun Goddess - and the clothes they're stitched into even more so.

DEVELOPMENT-SOUTH AFRICA: No Great Harvest With Land Reform Just Yet

Since the advent of democracy a decade ago in South Africa, efforts have been made to give the country's majority black population opportunities in the farming sector. During the colonial era and under apartheid, blacks were dispossessed of land - and often prevented from buying it.