Zanzibar’s teenage girls are often expected to assist with cooking and housekeeping. But 15-year-old Aisha Bakary had a different idea of how to spend her time. As the oldest of nine siblings, she would find spare moments to turn up the volume on the TV or the radio, listening to lounge, house, afro and traditional taarab music. Nearly 10 years later, 24-year-old Aisha has made music her career. “There are no women DJs here in Zanzibar, so I thought...
ONE
The fight for gender equality requires action on multiple fronts. It happens in many places, from communities to court rooms, pushed by citizens and politicians alike. But while many democracies already have constitutionally promised equality, the reality faced by women and girls says differently. When this happens, how do we hold governments accountable to the promise of equality?
Melene Rossouw, a lawyer in South Africa, is fighting for gender equality through democratic power and advocacy. Rather than advocating the government...
The word “scary” likely brings to mind creepy creatures, spooky specters, masked murderers, or any number of iconic horror images. But “global development” likely isn’t the first scary thing that enters your mind.
While it won’t be the topic of the next big horror movie, some of the challenges facing development can be truly horrifying. From extreme poverty, to gender equality, to corruption, these issues affect millions of people worldwide. Even the most vicious, havoc-wreaking creature of the night wouldn’t...
Black Queen is a Senegalese rapper with a taste for activism and campaigning. She has joined ONE’s campaign to end gender-based violence in Senegal. Here’s her story. This article discusses physical assault.
One evening, coming home from a concert, some men attacked me and took everything I had with me. I was beaten and wounded during this attack. The resulting trauma made me realize the seriousness of the domestic, physical and verbal violence suffered by thousands of women around the...
Every child has the potential to achieve astounding things. But for girls everywhere, that potential is cut short by discrimination and inequality.
This International Day of the Girl, we’re looking to activists who have faced these hurdles and overcome them. We asked gender equality activists what they would say to their younger selves. Their words of advice and encouragement are sure to empower anyone in the fight for equality.
Here are six powerful quotes to inspire the next generation of activists:
“Find...
If you were to look back on your childhood, you might remember going to school, exploring the world around, and discovering the things that have inspired you throughout life. But what might your life look like if you didn’t have those experiences?
Around the world, girls continue to face discrimination and limited opportunity simply because they are girls. Childhood is the foundation of adulthood, and the inequality that girls face have massive effects on the rest of their lives.
We must...
If you could say anything to yourself as a kid, what would you say?
That’s the question behind ONE’s new documentary series, Yours in Power. Three activists working to create gender equality have written to themselves as young girls, offering advice and insights for the road ahead. Their inspiring words prove the power of a strong voice and an unwavering determination to create an equal world.
Any activist knows that changing the world can involve a lot of letters. Whether it...
In this series, we’re profiling real-life superheroes who are fighting to end preventable diseases. Each one has an alter-ego from our quiz, “Which Lifesaving Superhero Are You?” Take the quiz to find out which hero you are.
Meet Professor Moses Joloba, AKA Professor Data! Armed with data and information, he’s able to spot patterns and share his knowledge across Africa.
Inside Uganda’s Supranational Reference Laboratory, Professor Moses Joloba is hard at work in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). His mission...
In this series, we’re profiling real-life superheroes who are fighting to end preventable diseases. Each one has an alter-ego from our quiz, “Which Lifesaving Superhero Are You?” Take the quiz to find out which hero you are.
Meet Dr. Eliud Wandwalo, AKA Captain Cash! Backed with funding, he’s able to support technical innovations and programs to put an end to preventable diseases.
Of the 10 million people who fall ill with tuberculosis (TB) every year, only about six million are...
In this series, we’re profiling real-life superheroes who are fighting to end preventable diseases. Each one has an alter-ego from our quiz, “Which Lifesaving Superhero Are You?” Take the quiz to find out which hero you are.
Meet Martha Clara Nakato, AKA Wonder Njeri! When faced with stigma and discrimination, she fights back to make sure everyone has the acceptance and care they need.
Martha Clara Nakato is an HIV/AIDS advocate and volunteer for Uganda Network of Young People Living...