Children

Sita Saminaden is the Director of Stephen Business School in Mauritius and is a member of the political party ‘Rassemblement Mauricien’. Her first encounter with Gender Links occurred in 2021 when she attended training sessions on ‘Women and Youth in Politics’.   Education and Childhood: Self belief Despite her humble beginnings, childhood sickness and stereotypes around […]

“One should know how to use one’s knowledge to the benefit of the people.”  Neena Ramdenee’s first encounters with Gender Links occurred more than ten years back through Loga Virahsawmy, Gender Links Board Member and Media Consultant and thereafter Anushka Virahsawmy, Country Director of Gender Links Mauritius. She attended presentations and most recently participated in […]

Port Louis, 1 February 2022: The very long  awaited Children’s Act 2020 has now come into full force as from 24 January 2022. Gender Links (GL) congratulates Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Kalpana Koonjoo-Shah on this important step in the development and protection of children’s rights. Gender Links is also grateful to all  […]

“Although I sometimes feel low, I look in the mirror and remind myself not to give up.” My name is Priya and I am 20 years old. I came to Safe Haven Halfway Home in September 2019 after suffering physical and mental abuse from my relatives. I was five years old when my mother became […]

By Bokani King Gaborone, 3 December: People living with disabilities (PLWD) continue to face stigma and neglect, but the disturbing trend of Gender Based Violence (GBV) is compounding their problems in Botswana and the world over. As the world commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme, “Leadership and participation of persons with […]

For immediate release: 18 November 2020, Port Louis: After years of digging in on ending child marriages, the government of Mauritius is finally relenting to civil society pressure to comply with regional instruments on 18 years as the minimum age of marriage. This could finally pave the way for Mauritius – the only Southern African […]

By Shamiso Chigorimbo Johannesburg, 16 October 2020: Members of the Zambia parliament recently shot down a regressive motion that sought suspension of teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools pending wider consultations by stakeholders. News reports indicate that majority of Members of Parliament voted against this proposed suspension. While there were Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) […]

Three Years of Safe Haven ‘Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time’ – Ruth Bader Ginsburg Background Since its inception in September 2017, Gender Links Safe Haven Halfway Home (SHHH) has been a refuge for 69 residents coming from different socio-economic backgrounds and having known numerous types of violence throughout their lifetime […]

Dr Makanatsa Makonese, Harare, 11 October: There has been a flurry of legal battles to end child marriages in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region over the past few years. Successes have been scored on the legal front at both regional and national levels but equally so there have been some noticeable barriers in […]

By Andile Tshuma, Bulawayo, 20 July: Covid-19 has upended the lives of many children and their families alike, with migratory efforts such lock downs resulting in countrywide school closures, affecting children’s routines and support systems. Pandemic control measures that do not account for the gender specific needs and vulnerabilities of young women and girls may […]