By Hannah Zhihan Jiang Molly Grieves, 47, has struggled to find work for years, but a month ago she was hired as an intern cleaner at the Helen Joseph Hospital through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP is…
Black women living with HIV continue to experience forced sterilisation at South African public health institutions, the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Conference heard at Diep in Die Berg, in Pretoria, on Wednesday Organised by the Department of Social Development, the…
South African reproductive health experts say that it is concerning that young girls and women continue to carry the sole responsibility of ensuring contraceptive use. In South Africa, contraceptives are legally available to anyone over 12. But Dr Kim Jonas,…
Women’s participation in the economy took centre stage at the launch of this year’s 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children, which kicked off at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg earlier this afternoon. Led…
Women face multiple challenges when it comes to receiving contraceptive advice and access. Addressing this, helps to empower women and contributes to shaping a more equitable and safe South Africa, writes Dr Nomacete Tshume, a clinician at Kena Health.…
President Cyril Ramaphosa declared gender-based violence and femicide as South Africa’s first pandemic and said society was at war with women and children. The President spoke during the second day of the 2nd Presidential Summit on GBVF at Gallagher Estate…
Severe period pain is nothing new for 31-year-old Boitumelo Molete. But her pain wasn’t normal and in 2016, she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. “I have always struggled with period pain and the duration of my period. I used to…
Most of the world’s domestic workers – (76%) – are women. They mainly do housework like cleaning, washing clothes, cooking and childcare, usually in private households. Domestic workers often have low incomes and are excluded from basic labour rights and…
The advocacy group, Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA), has set up a campaign warning the public of Nestle’s “blatant disregard” for child health. It claims the food giants have violated Regulation 991 relating to foodstuffs for infants and young children with…
Breastfeeding is a relationship between two people in a thrilling new, highly vulnerable position: a mother and her newborn. It’s a bonding experience shaped by physiology, emotion and the good and bad realities of life. It is far more than…
Over four thousand new HIV infections are recorded among girls and young women in Sub-Saharan Africa every week. However, an expert believes that access to information about the virus can turn these numbers around. Patricia Machawira, the United Nations Educational,…
Food insecurity is becoming a problem for more South African women who head up the majority of single-person households. Statistics released in 2021 reveal that almost a quarter of SA households are run by one individual. According to a survey…
Conversations about mental well-being have shifted over the years, with people more open to discussing it, but perinatal mental health is still often overlooked. Perinatal mental health problems occur during pregnancy or in the first year following the birth of…
Pamela Madonsela spoke to a Cape Town-based doula who experienced obstetric violence before embarking on her journey of offering a better birthing experience to other moms. “If I had known back then what obstetric violence was, I would have acted.…
Young girls and women in SA between 15 and 24 continue to be most at risk of HIV, yet access to preventative measures and support remains low. According to UNAIDS, young women in sub-Saharan Africa are twice as likely to become infected with…